A Prince of a Guy

Over six months since they set out on the Path of Aganhei, and more than nine months after leaving Magnimar, the party gazed out upon the fabled continent of Tian Xia. A vast expanse of steppes and grasslands stretched out before them, and as he led them down from the Wall of Heaven mountains, Ulf told them a little about the nation of Hongal that they were about to enter.

The Hongali were nomadic horsemen, equally proud of their horses and their skill in battle. They were led by a Khan, but he spent most of his time leading his troops in skirmishes or raids on their border countries. He left the running of the country to his younger brother, “Prince Somebody-or-Other”.

They were headed for the capital city of Ordu-Aganhei. Ulf explained that it was a small city by the standards of Kalsgard or Magnimar, but by virtue of its location as the focus of all trade between Tian Xia and Avistan over the Crown of the World, it had a thriving merchant class and a much broader sampling of exotic shops and goods than other cities of its size. Beyond Ordu-Aganhei, Ulf could tell them little – he’d never traveled any farther south. He hoped to reach the city just in time to sign on as a guide for another caravan, heading back out across the Crown in the normal season. Indeed, as the group made their way down the slopes, they encountered another caravan headed back north. Ulf chatted with them for a bit, telling them that they’d gotten a late start the season before, and had been caught by bad weather before reaching the High Ice. They’d had to winter in Jaagiin, he explained, and were returning to Ordu-Aganhei now to re-supply. The other caravan seemed to accept his story without question.

After a few days, they arrived at the city of Ordu-Aganhei, gateway to the mysterious Dragon Empires of Tian Xia. The city was enclosed by stout walls, and outside were dozens of large corrals full of horses. “Hongali horses are the best in the world,” Ulf explained. “It’s a shame they can’t survive the trip over the Crown – you’d make a fortune selling them back home.” They approached the north gate, a 30’ tall sturdy iron affair. As they got closer, the party could see that the walls were topped by iron spikes, many of which sported severed heads.

A dozen or so guards lounged about outside, and at the caravan’s approach they were joined by an officious looking little man. He stormed forward, guards in tow, and ordered the caravan to halt, then began shouting angrily at Ulf in Tien. A few of the party could understand the exchange, but most couldn’t, and Ulf translated for their benefit. “He doesn’t believe we just came down from the Crown – says no one would cross out of season. He insists we’re spies, sent by Hongal’s enemies.” Ulf continued in a lower voice, “Don’t worry … he’s just jockeying for a bribe. This isn’t unusual – I should be able to negotiate something reasonable.”

They haggling went on for some time, with the customs official seeming to grow angrier as Ulf seemed to be less and less concerned. Suddenly, an older man in elaborate silk robes appeared from the gate. The guards saw him first, and immediately snapped to nervous attention. The customs official continued his shouting for a few moments until he noticed the guards’ stiff postures. A glance over his shoulder silenced him in mid-sentence, and he bowed stiffly, noticeably trembling.

Once the official had stopped shouting, the well-dressed man approached the party. To their shock, he prostrated himself in the dirt at their feet. “Honored guests! Welcome, welcome, and three welcomes more! Please ignore these slithering worms beneath your feet — I assure you they shall be punished for their insolence.” The party noticed a puddle forming between the feet of the customs official, but he remained silent. The prostrate man continued. “Prince Batsaikhar, golden orb of sunlight at the black portal of barbarism, bids you welcome to Ordu-Aganhei, the City at the Edge of the World. My most munificent lord invites his honored guests to his humble palace to rest, dine, partake in polite conversation, and perhaps indulge in some pleasure. The Golden One says he hopes you will honor him with your clever speech from strange lands, a speech that he of all men in Hongal has mastered. He is eager to hear of your journey across the Crown of the World in this most difficult time of travel.”

He picked himself up out of the dirt, and bowed low to the party. Then he reached into his robes and withdrew three black roses, which he presented with solemn bows to Bella, Marie, and Ameiko. “There is no fire like the fire in the souls of the women of far lands. Beauty is the wisdom of women, and wisdom is the beauty of men.” With this, he smiled at the party. “I am called Chua, royal advisor to our beloved Prince Batsaikhar. Please, would you be so kind as to allow me to escort you through our lovely city to the Prince’s palace?”

How do say no to an invitation like that? Bidding Ulf farewell, the party followed Chua through the gate and into the narrow, winding streets of Ordu-Aganhei. The buildings were mostly timber, with high, gabled roofs and ornate, decorated eaves. Paper lanterns hung across the streets to light them at night, and countless prayer flags of all colors danced from every gable and roof. The heady scent of incense mingled with the smell of unfamiliar cooked foods. And everything was immaculately clean. It seemed that at every corner there was an old woman with a straw broom and small bucket, sweeping away unseen traces of dust and picking up any stray scrap of refuse. Everyone they passed smiled broadly and bowed deeply at their passage.

Bella was fascinated. She’d never imagined anything as strange and exotic as this place could exist. As they walked, she peppered Chua with a constant stream of questions. He seemed bemused by her naiveté, and fielded each question as if he were a tour guide, instead of the ruler’s right-hand man. He was always careful to conclude that all of Ordu-Aganhei’s beauty and success was due to Prince Batsaikhar’s wisdom and selfless sacrifice.

In the center of the city was a large lake. Steam rose from its surface and the air was tinged with the scent of sulfur; they recalled that Ulf had said Ordu-Aganhei was famed for its hot springs. At one end of the lake was a large temple, which Chua told them was the temple of Abadar, god of contracts, wealth, and order. (Nicki decided that this was a place where he just might fit very well, and he was glad he’d put on his best clothes for the occasion.) On the other end of the lake was the vast palace complex, with tier upon tier of tiled roofs stretching on for acres.

The palace was surrounded by hundreds of soldiers, some standing at guard posts and others patrolling. All, however, snapped to attention as Chua and the party approached, and dropped to their knees as they passed, heads bowed. Inside, the palace was truly a maze, filled with hundreds of servants, officials, and people of unknown duties, all of whom also bowed at the party’s passage. Chua led them down broad, carpeted passages until they finally reached an enormous central courtyard, nearly 100 yards across, surrounding a steaming lake. The courtyard was enclosed, and even though it was cold outside (they were, remember, barely removed from the tundra), inside it was lush and tropical. Orchids and other flowers grew in profusion, and herons flew overhead or waded in the shallows. The ceiling high overhead was almost invisible behind a veritable wall of prayer flags.

At one end of the courtyard was a raised dais, and on the dais was a huge bed covered with colorful silks. In the center reclined a very large, smiling man dressed in voluminous silk robes. Behind him stood a tall figure in full samurai armor, a drawn sword across his chest. Around the Prince’s bed/throne were a retinue of nearly a hundred servants, scribes, court officials, bodyguards, and a dozen or more beautiful women with white-painted faces.

When he spotted the approaching party, the Prince’s smile grew even broader, and he waved them forward to a row of low tables already arranged at the foot of his … throne. “Welcome, honored guests,” he said in heavily accented Avistani Common. “I am Prince Batsaikhar, humble servant of Hongal and this is my wholly inadequate home. Please, would you do me the great honor of accepting a light snack as a meager gesture of my hospitality?” He snapped his fingers and twenty servants appeared out of nowhere, bearing tray after tray of food and drink. There were twenty kinds of cheeses, and twenty kinds of bread and pastries, twenty kinds of sweetmeats, and twenty kinds of tea to wash it all down. When the “snack” had been laid, Prince Batsaikhar waved the servants away, and spoke again to the party. “I find your appearance out of the north at this time of year most extraordinary. You have crossed over the Crown of the World at a time when all thought it impossible. Your journey must make a fascinating tale – would you honor me by sharing just a bit of it?”

The party exchanged uneasy glances – what exactly might it be safe to say in front of an audience? But Sandoval hadn’t had an audience in months, and didn’t need to be asked twice. Rising to his feet and unlimbering his lute, he launched into an epic tale of man against nature, of battles against storms, and monsters, and shambling things from beyond the grave. He went on for over an hour, and would have gone well into the night if Marie hadn’t started giving him subtle kicks. But for all his storytelling, he left out key details. He went on a length about the battle with the dragon, but left out any mention of Zhustin’s death or resurrection. He didn’t mention Katiyana or the Storm Tower, and didn’t speak of Koya’s sacrifice. And of course, he never, ever mentioned Ameiko.

As Sandoval went on (and on, and on), Bella was feeling a bit overwhelmed. On top of all the strange sights and sounds of the day, the huge selection of foreign food left her afraid to try anything. The Prince seemed to notice her indecision, and began to interrupt Sandoval’s tale to suggest things that he thought Bella might enjoy. Everything he suggested was delicious, and Bella’s grateful smile brought a twinkle to the Prince’s eye.

As Sandoval told his story, the rest of the court hung on every word, but always kept one eye glued on the Prince. If he gasped at the surprise of the dragon’s ambush, the entire courtyard was filled with the intake of breath. If he chuckled at description of the look on Nicki’s face when an Ice Elemental suddenly appeared beside him, a hundred throats suddenly exploded with laughter.

When Sandoval finally finished, the Prince let the silence hang in the air for a moment. Then he said, “But you haven’t answered the most important question. Why did you choose to cross the Crown of the World in winter in the first place?”

Sandoval didn’t miss a beat. “For the glory!” he exclaimed. “No one had ever crossed the Crown in winter before, and now none but us can say that they were the first!” This answer delighted the Prince, and he leaped to his feat in applause, to the accompaniment of his entire court. As the applause died, Prince Batsaikhar motioned for Chua. His advisor bowed low, and the Prince made his proclamation. “Our honored friends from distant lands have conquered great dangers to come to us. We now bestow upon them the title of Royal Guests. They are to be offered every hospitality, and given the best rooms in the palace! And begin preparations immediately for the Five Feasts of Hongal in their honor, the first feast to be held tomorrow night!” With a slight bow to the party, the Prince swept from the room, followed by his retinue.

The party were suddenly the center of a swirl of activity. They were led off into another part of the palace, and each given their own ornate suite of rooms. Each room had a huge feather bed covered with silk pillows and coverlets, and a separate room with an alabaster tub full of hot water from the springs. As each member was left in their room, a contingent of six or eight servants suddenly appeared, and began attempting to undress them and lead them into the bath. Nicki and Sandoval had no problem with this whatsoever. Nicki was glad to finally be treated as he deserved again, and enjoyed the simple pleasure of terrorizing servants once more. Sandoval was soon happily singing in the tub, a pair attractive servant girls scrubbing parts that hadn’t been scrubbed in, well, ever.

The others had more mixed feelings. Marie grudgingly accepted her servants ministrations, after it was explained to her that this was their duty. She was surprised and worried when she got out of the bath and found all her clothes and weapons gone, but her servants explained they had simply been taken away to be laundered and polished, and would be returned soon.

For his part, Zhustin was flabbergasted as a trio of good-looking (well, they were female, hence by definition good-looking) servants undressed him, and led him into the bath. After being soaped and scrubbed by many more hands than he was used to, he found his wizard’s robes gone, and a thin silk robe the only thing to wear. And he quickly discovered that there were some things that were almost impossible to hide when wearing a thin silk robe.

But at least they could speak a little Tien. Sawyer was insistent that his servants get out and leave him alone. The more he commanded, the more they smiled and nodded … and stayed. They pulled his clothes off, and he pulled them back on. They tried to take his gear to be cleaned, and he snatched it back. Ultimately, he found himself sitting naked in a tub, Suishen clutched in a deathgrip over his head while some poor servant (a man – he’d at least made the women wait in the other room) worked vigorously on his armpits with a loofah.

Bella allowed herself to be undressed and bathed (as she soaked in the hot water, she decided that this “bathing” thing was something she could get used to). After she’d been dressed in her silk kimono, she heard a discreet cough at the door, and turned to find Chua waiting there. “His golden radiance, the sun of our days, humbly beseeches you to spare a few moments of your precious time to allow him the immeasurable pleasure of your company.” Once Bella had spent a minute parsing this sentence to figure out that the Prince wanted to see her, she nodded mutely, wondering just what the Prince had in mind and wishing like heck she still had at least one of her knives.

Chua led her into yet another part of the palace. Bella thought that what she’d seen before had been opulent, but it was nothing compared to this. She finally came to a chamber that was “small” by the standards of the palace, but still larger than most homes back in Magnimar. Prince Batsaikhar reclined on yet another bed, and to Bella’s relief he was accompanied by a small fraction of his previous entourage – barely two dozen. The Prince smiled (it seemed to be his only expression), and motioned for her to sit on a small pile of cushions at his feet.

“I had heard that in distant lands there were women whose hair was the color of a dying sunset, but I had counted them as fairy tales. Now I see that I was wrong, and that no fable could capture the reality of such beauty. Surely a woman as exotic as yourself must come from a truly extraordinary world. Please, if you could indulge me – tell me of your home, and your life before you came here.”

Bella felt herself blushing, a feeling she’d seldom experienced before. She wasn’t sure what to say – she certainly couldn’t tell the Prince about her real background. “Um … there are lots of people who look like me where I come from. I’m really not that special,” she stammered. Nervous, she stood and began to pace, drawing shocked gasps from the Prince’s entourage. The Prince’s smile took on a forced cast, and behind him, Chua discreetly motioned for Bella to sit down. She took the hint, and the room let out its collective breath.

Bella rambled for awhile, telling of life in Magnimar as she’d always imagined it for the rich people and houses she robbed. But as she spoke, she had trouble concentrating. There was just so much beautiful, valuable stuff everywhere. Finally she blurted, “Wow – you’ve really got a lot of nice things!” The Prince seized on the change in topic, and rose to his feet, offering Bella his hand. He led her around the room, describing each statue, carving, or painted screen, its artist, the symbolism of its images. Bella paid rapt attention – to the number and location of the items, their apparent street value, and the number and disposition of the guards.

At last the Prince excused himself with flowery, eloquent regret, and Bella was led back to her rooms. She found the rest of the group already assembled, comparing notes on their experiences. With all their servants, it was quite a gathering, and a group of musicians had joined them, playing strange instruments and singing in nasal voices; Sandoval was joining in, trying to learn their techniques and absorb their musical styles. When they heard of Bella’s private audience with the Prince, Nicki began teasing immediately: “Bella’s got a boyfriend!” he chanted over and over, and Bella found herself blushing for the second time that day. Secretly though, young Lord Roderick was seething that he wasn’t the one getting special attention from the Prince – after all, he was clearly the only noble-born member of the party. For all his warnings about how untrustworthy nobles were, he seemed to want awfully badly to be accepted into their company.

The next morning, the group set out to explore Ordu-Aganhei. Now that they were finally back in civilization, they had a lot of loot to dispose of, and long shopping lists of equipment to purchase or upgrade. Nicki had wisely asked for a translator to assist in their negotiations, as almost none of the locals spoke anything but Tien.

During their visits with merchants, Nicki also began to discreetly prod for information about Minkai and its current state of affairs. The locals knew little enough of Minkai, but did share that between Hongal and Minkai lay an ancient and haunted place called the Forest of Spirits. While nominally within the borders of Hongal, it is dangerous and all but uninhabited by humans. The only road between Hongal and Minkai is The Spirit Road, which skirts the forest to the west rather than passing through it. The road is patrolled by heavily armed samurai loyal to the Jade Regent, and only their presence makes it safe to travel.

That was the story from the locals. Talking to foreign traders gave a somewhat different slant. Yes, the Forest of Spirits was forbidding, and yes, the Jade Regent’s troops patrolled the Spirit Road, but they were just as likely to rob you as protect you. Many caravans had disappeared altogether over the past few years, and while the locals blame the haunted forest, the traders think that the patrols are the far more likely culprits. Over quiet cups of tea, some of the foreigners shared that whispers of rebellion or outright civil war were coming out of Minkai. The emperor had gone into hiding and had not been seen in public in years, and his appointed viceroy, the Jade Regent, was far from a popular ruler. Many groups oppose the Jade Regent, and they might be able to topple him if they ever joined together.

By mid-afternoon, messengers from Chua arrived to escort the party back to the palace, where they were bathed (“You mean you do this every day?” Bella asked incredulously) and re-dressed. The Prince once more summoned Bella for a short private (well, semi-private) audience, where he showed her some of the exotic plants in his gardens. Bella paid close attention – to the skylights and windows, possible sources of ingress and quick escape.

That evening, they were escorted back to the central courtyard. A large, colorful pavilion had been erected at one end, and there were at least 300 courtiers and hangers-on in attendance, along with countless servants and slaves. The party was led to a seat of honor at the foot of the Prince’s table. When all were assembled, the Prince bade that the Feast of Three begin.

Three what the party never inquired nor learned, but the feast was beyond anything any of them had ever imagined. The menu included spicy duck heads; ox forehead; turtle casserole; pigeon brains; fried chicken feet; and tiger, dragon, and phoenix soup (actually made with cat, snake, and chicken meat). Despite the exotic names and ingredients, most of the dishes were rather tasty. After the meal, the Prince’s royal guards put on a display of the Three Games of Hongal: mounted archery, bareback horse racing, and wrestling. When they completed, the Prince rose and all eyes turned to him. “Our honored guests have come to Us through great danger to honor Us with their presence. Perhaps they could entertain Us by demonstrating their own proficiency at Our humble games.”

As everyone’s expectant gaze turned to them, it dawned on the party that the Prince was expecting them to also compete. As a horse was led forward, Sawyer reluctantly got to his feet. He was the only one with any experience fighting from horseback, although it was something he tried to avoid. Sandoval softly began singing to Inspire Competence, hoping to bolster his riding skills, while Ameiko sang to Inspire Courage. Sawyer pulled himself into the saddle, and spurred the horse forward. He took the reins in his teeth, steering the horse with his knees, and drew his composite longbow. Trying to compensate for the jarring motion of the horse, he took aim as best he could and let fly. Bulls eye! The crowd erupted in cheers.

Before he even had time to catch his breath, another horse was led out. This one wasn’t saddled, and Sawyer took a moment to look over the dirt course that the earlier riders had raced over. Then, taking a deep breath, he took a running start and leaped onto the horse’s back. He wrapped his fist in the horse’s mane and kicked with his heels, but the horse shied for a moment with the unfamiliar rider. At last realizing what was expected of him, it took off, but Sawyer had lost valuable seconds. The hardest part was still to come: a series of jumps just before the finish line, any one of which could lead to a painful and embarrassing fall. But Sawyer and his mount handled each of them flawlessly. The crowd turned to the Prince in hushed anticipation; Sawyer’s time was obviously slower than the Hongali contestants. But the Prince smiled and gave a nod, and once again the courtyard was filled with cheering.

Then a barrel-chested figure strode out, skin glistening with oil. This was the Prince’s personal champion, Huk. During the wrestling exhibition before, Shinjiro had been impressed by the man’s strength and speed. Without saying a word, the monk rose from his seat and shrugged off the short vest he wore, then strode to meet his opponent in the wrestling ring. Each gave a short bow of respect, then began to circle. Shinjiro lunged first, but Huk easily evaded his grasp. The Hongali then made his move. The man was fast as a snake, making two moves to every one of Shinjiro’s, but the monk's years of study and focus allowed him to anticipate Huk’s moves before he made them. Huk tried a feint, but Shinjiro caught him in it. He wrapped one arm around the man’s shoulder and swept his feet from beneath him, dropping him to the dirt. In a flash, Shinjiro was on Huk’s back, his arm twisted painfully behind him. Realizing he could not escape without breaking his arm, Huk acknowleged Shinjiro’s pin and went limp. Shinjiro helped him to his feet. The Hongali bowed deeply to the Prince and then to Shinjiro, then left the courtyard, eyes downcast.

The Prince snapped his fingers, and a servant presented the party with their prize: an ornately carved wooden box containing a masterwork shortbow, Efficient Quiver, and 10 +1 arrows. With a final smile, the Prince swept from the room and the Feast of Three was concluded.

The next day, the party was once again on their own. Having concluded most of their errands the day before, they spent this day randomly exploring the exotic city. As Shinjiro passed through a small market square near the western gate, he did a sudden double-take; he was sure he had caught a glimpse of a familiar face out of the corner of his eye. He scanned the crowd, but didn’t see anyone he recognized. Then the cawing of crows drew his eyes upward. There, on one of the iron spikes, blood still fresh, was the head of his opponent from the night before, Huk.

That night brought the Feast of the Ancients. That night’s menu included steamed Hongali stone frogs, goose stomach, goat’s feet tendons in wheat noodles, fish lips with celery, solidified duck blood, and drunken shrimp (a delicacy in which one dips live shrimp in alcohol before pinching off their heads and eating their flesh). Tonight, the party had a little more difficulty downing some or

Pi Ying Xi

the more unusual dishes. The after-dinner entertainment was “Why the Marmot Doesn’t Have Thumbs,” an ancient Hongali folk tale performed with pi ying xi, a type of shadow puppet theater using leather puppets. It was accompanied by throat singing and music on the morin khuur, or horsehead fiddle, a traditional Hongali stringed instrument. After the entertainment, the Prince again rose and turned to the party. “Perhaps Our guests from

Morin Khuur

the young lands of beautiful women could share with Us a similar tale from their homeland.” He motioned to the puppets and instruments that the previous entertainers had conveniently left behind.

Nodding to Ameiko and Bella, Sandoval strode to the stage. Bella took a few moments to examine the puppets, and then her deft fingers, which had spent years lifting purses and picking pockets had little trouble making the figures dance on the screen. Sandoval took up the morin khuur and, to everyone’s amazement, began to play. His hours of recent practicing (that’s what he was doing in his room until the wee hours with those cute young musicians – just practicing, really!) had paid off. He began to sing, with Ameiko accompanying him, but the real payoff came when his Harmonizing Echoblade joined in, adding its voice to theirs. Sandoval wove the Varisian folktale “The Farmer’s Daughter and her Ass” into Hongali style, and while most of the audience couldn’t understand the lyrics, Bella’s antics with the shadow puppets brought it’s ribald story to life. By the end, even the Prince had tears running down his face from laughter, and he presented Sandoval with a beautifully carved morin khuur as his prize.

The party spent the next day in leisure, with Bella having another short private audience with the prince. They then were brought to the Feast of Fire. Tonight, the pavilion was all in scarlet, and the menu consisted of thousand-year-old eggs (duck eggs coated with lime, ashes, and mud and soaked in horse urine for 100 days), cow’s lung soaked in chili sauce, pig face (made by pouring hot tar on a pig’s head to remove the hair but leave the skin intact), snake venom soup, deep fried bee larvae, and duck’s feet marinated in blood. The bee larvae were surprisingly edible, but the party did little but push the other entrees around on their plates. After dinner, a troupe of acrobats performed  “The Taming of the Kirin,” a dazzlingly dangerous display of fire breathing and swordplay while dancing on hot coals. To no one’s surprise, the Prince once again challenged his new friends “from the bountiful lands of enlightenment to the west” to prove they could match these feats.

“I’m getting really tired of this,” Nicki grumbled. “I think it’s time to show them we’re not messing around.” He strode forward, a scowl on his face, joined by Sandoval and Bella. “Desna help us!” Marie muttered, and turned her words into a quick Prayer. Nicki began to channel his Hellish nature, and small gouts of flame began to erupt from the bed of coals, silencing the crowd. Sandoval launched into his Hoka dance, and the nearer rows of the audience began to edge away. Then Bella began leaping and tumbling across the coals, narrowly dodging each burst of flame Nicki summoned, and emerging without so much as a blister. When they finished, the crowd didn’t know whether to cheer or flee in terror, and even the Prince’s smile looked forced. But he quickly regained his composure, and led the crowd in a round of hesitant applause.

But tonight, the Prince didn’t immediately leave. He motioned for silence, and everyone watched him expectantly. “Our esteemed guests have basked in Our hospitality and brightened the city of Ordu-Aganhei by their presence. They have enjoyed our entertainments and our delicious cuisine.” His smile took on a wolfish cast, and the party was certain he’d noticed their distaste for tonight’s meal. “Since tomorrow night is the Feast of the Honored Visitors, it is only fitting that our honored visitors prepare our feast for us, and introduce us to the strange, unusual, and undoubtedly delicious dishes of their homeland.” With a final smile, he turned an left.

The party left feeling queasy, and not from the food. Their experience with cooking was somewhat less than their experience with shoemaking. But Sandru was ecstatic. “Finally! A chance to show off our bog nuts!” The rest of the group wasn’t so convinced, but after considering what they’d been fed tonight, they concluded that forcing the Prince to eat bog nuts might not be such a bad thing after all.

They awakened early the next day, and headed straight for the royal kitchens. The royal chefs had no idea whatsoever what Avistani food should look like, let alone taste like, and none of them spoke a word of Avistani Common. And they were so nervous that before the day was done there were a dozen broken crocks and at least as many sliced fingers. But Ameiko’s years of managing the Rusty Dragon had left her knowing what it takes to run a kitchen, and Sandru knew most of Koya’s favorite recipes by heart. Together, they began to whip the Hongali chefs into shape.

Late in the morning, Sandru sent Bella back to the wagons for another batch of bog nuts (“You can never have too many bog nuts!” he explained cheerfully). As she returned to the palace’s service entrance, she met a small figure coming out, her hands tucked into the voluminous sleeves of her jacket. It was the puppeteer from two nights before, but her face was pale and drawn, her eyes red-rimmed. When she recognized Bella, she gave a quick yelp of terror, and dashed away down an alley. As she did, her jacket came open, revealing heavily bandaged stumps at the end of each wrist.

That night, the court gathered once again for the Fourth Feast of Hongal. At Sandru’s command, the servants brought forth platter after platter of food. There was bog nut infused spicy Szarni goulash, bog nut encrusted trout, and a dozen other dishes, a few of which had not even a trace of bog nuts. Everyone in the courtyard held their breath, chopsticks poised, as the Prince took his first bite. He frowned slightly, then smacked his lips a few times. “What is this amazing spice?” he finally exclaimed, digging into his meal with gusto. As one, everyone else began devouring their meals, vying to outdo one another with compliments.

Before the plates were even cleared, Sandru came running over. “The royal chefs asked where they could purchase more of that “exotic spice that the Prince loves so much”. I offered to sell them the whole load, and quoted a price three times what I thought I could get, just as a starting point for negotiations. They accepted without even haggling!”

That night, there was no entertainment (almost, they mused, as if the Prince never expected the feast to last that long). Still, after dinner the Prince rose and faced the party. They groaned inwardly, wondering what hoops he’d make them jump through next. The Prince smiled even more broadly than usual. “Our honored visitors have demonstrated immense skill and boundless resourcefulness in their short time in our kingdom. Indeed, few of our own people have ever shown such ability.” He cast the briefest of glances at the head of his honor guard, who grew deathly pale but said nothing. The prince continued. “In reward for the pleasure We have received from watching their feats, We have decided to bestow upon them a great honor.” He paused for effect, and everyone in the room seemed to be holding their breath. “Our esteemed guests shall have the honor of representing Hongal in the Ruby Phoenix Tournament!”

There was a moment of stunned silence, followed by thunderous applause (although the expressions of pleasure on some of the faces seemed a bit forced). Prince Batsaikhar basked in the crowd’s approval, then turned and swept from the room. He made the slightest of gestures to one of his guards, and as his honor guard escorted him from the room, they clustered tightly around the commander of the guard, and inconspicuously removed his weapons; the officer made no move to protest, but accompanied them meekly.

As the feast broke up, the prince’s seneschal, a man named Khaliskan, approached and bowed low. “Our beneficent prince has bestowed a rare honor upon you. His wisdom in this choice is impeccable, and I am certain that you will bring nothing but honor to the reputation of Hongal.”

“Um, that’s nice, but just what is this tournament, anyway?” Bella asked. Upon hearing this, his eyebrows went up in surprise. “I assumed that warriors of your stature would all know of the Ruby Phoenix Tournament. Please, allow me the honor of telling you its history.

“Over a thousand years ago, the sorceress Hao Jin left an indelible mark upon the land of Tian Xia. Throughout her centuries-long life, Hao Jin — a devout follower of Abadar, god of contracts, wealth, and order — set out to amass her own First Vault, a collection of those items she deemed most perfect or wondrous in all the world. Among the many Abadaran pacts and contracts that dictated Hao Jin’s life was her carefully contracted agreement with the temple of Abadar in Goka regarding the fate of her collection in the event of her eventual death. Fearful that her treasures would fall into the wrong hands or simply be lost to history, Hao Jin left strict instructions that were she not to set foot within the temple for 10 years and a day, on the 10 year anniversary of that occasion, an epic competition of martial arts was to be held, overseen by the city’s Abadaran clergy; the winning team would be allowed to choose a single item from her Vault as a prize for their victory. Not only would this prevent the collection from immediately being broken up, but it also ensured her life’s work would attain its own legendary immortality through the prestige the contest would bring.

“During her lifetime, many who knew of her will attempted to end her life prematurely, and many succeeded. But Hao Jin had contingencies in place to such a degree that even her most cunning and careful would-be assassins underestimated her ability to return from the dead. Each time an enemy killed her, she miraculously emerged unscathed days later, her red hair a shade more vibrant than before her death. Her ability to overcome death and the resemblance her hair soon had to an animated, flickering flame earned Hao Jin the nickname Ruby Phoenix, and over the centuries of her life, many believed her to be truly immortal.

“Yet just over 300 years ago, a recordkeeper at Goka’s Grand Bank of Abadar informed the archbanker that a decade and a day had passed since the Ruby Phoenix last visited the temple. The conditions of her will had been met. As no one had seen nor heard from the sorceress for several years, she was assumed to have finally met her end, and the preparations were made to conduct the first Ruby Phoenix Tournament 10 years later. That tournament also established the office of the Emissary, an Abadaran official appointed for life to run the proceedings.

“Each decennial since, the greatest champions from across Golarion have vied for the victors’ spot, as much for the prestige of being named champion as for the priceless artifact they can claim as their prize. There has never been a champion from Hongal, but our prince, in his infinite wisdom, has surely brought that drought to and end. The Tournament begins in just a few days, so you must be prepared to depart in the morning.” He bows low and backs away.

As Khaliskan left, Suishen whispered to Sawyer. “Find somewhere private where I can talk to you all.” Sawyer gestured for everyone to follow him, and led them into a secluded alcove in the palace garden. Suishen began speaking in a low tone. “This is fate! Winning this tournament will give the Princess a valuable weapon in the coming war to regain her throne!

“700 years ago, Minkai faced a grave threat. The country was at war with Wanshou, but a great plague ravaged the land. It hit the army particularly hard, and left it too weak to repel the invasion that was sure to be coming. So Emperor Higashiyama Kansai turned to the wizard Hiroto for help, and Hiroto created an army of ten thousand terra cotta warriors to defend our land. With their help, Wanshou’s army was pushed back into the sea, and Minkai was saved.

”Hiroto was a wise man. He knew that his army could be used against the emperor by an ambitious general, so he crafted a dual control over it. The army was controlled by means of a baton that allowed the general in the field to issue commands that the terra cotta soldiers would obey. But the general had to use a command word to activate the baton, and that word had to be written on a magical wax slate and then sealed with one of the Imperial Seals. That meant that the emperor could prevent a rebellious general from using the army by changing the command word.

“But Hiroto did not count on an evil emperor. Two hundred years later, Emperor Shojinawa Doro knew that his son, Shojinawa Ito, was a truly evil man, and feared that when he became emperor, the terra cotta army would be turned against the people of Minkai. So he summoned the Ruby Phoenix, Hao Jin, and gave her the magic slate to add to her collection. Indeed, within a few weeks, Ito poisoned his father and ascended to the throne. Sadly, Doro’s precaution did little but delay his son’s evil; Shojinawa Ito proved to be a necromancer, who built an undead army to replace the terra cotta one his father had denied him.

“But the Slate of Hiroto still resides in the Ruby Phoenix’s First Vault. If you could win her tournament, you could claim it as your prize, and give Princess Ameiko a ready-made army to help regain her kingdom. And the people of Minkai would surely be inspired to know that their returning empress had the Ruby Phoenix Champions fighting at her side!”

This was the most anyone had heard the normally dour sword speak, and they needed a moment to digest what he had told them. “Just where is this Tournament?” Sawyer finally asked.

“It’s in Goka on the far western coast of Tian Xia,” Suishen answered.

“Well that settles it then. There’s no way we can get there in time if the tournament starts in a few days,” Sawyer said with relief.

“Oh no,” Suishen countered, “all the major temples of Abadar have teleportation circles linking them to the grand temple in Goka. That’s how most of the contestants arrive, and I’m sure the temple here is no different.”

Trying to decide if there was any way out of this without losing their heads, the party headed off for bed. The next morning, they were awakened early by their servants and told to dress for breakfast with the Prince. As they filed out, they realized that Sandru and Ameiko were missing. They had little time to search, as they were escorted immediately to the grand hall, where Prince Batsaikhar was already seated before a sumptuous breakfast. When asked about their missing friends, he smiled. “Oh yes. Your friends wished to see more of our beautiful country, and so have embarked on a grand tour of Hongal. Don’t worry – they are protected by several hundred of Our most elite guards and most clever court magicians. We give Our personal word of honor that no harm will befall them while you compete in the Tournament.”

He smiled even more broadly. “We are so delighted to have you representing Our small nation in the Ruby Phoenix Tournament. We are confident that you will not disappoint Our people and will return victorious! The prize, of course, will remain with Us, as the royal embodiment of the nation of Hongal. When the time comes, We trust you to choose something appropriate for Us from Hao Jin’s vast collection. We are certain that your friends will be as pleased with your victory as We shall be.” With his smile still permanently in place, he rose and left the room.

With no opportunity to react, the part found themselves escorted – paraded actually - through throngs of cheering citizens to the local temple of Abadar, where a teleportation circle awaited to whisk them off to Goka for the Ruby Phoenix Tournament.

The PCs earned 2,400 XP for the night, putting them at 113,055 XP with 155,000 required for Level 11. We’ll be at Leo’s this Sunday, and I’ll be there in person (with pictures of the new grandbaby!).