[HQ Ignorance] Scene 89: Palbar, City of the Oraya Sultanate

[Lev Lafayette]

Scene 89: Palbar, City of the Oraya Sultanate

Bidding the merchant caravan and Xigxag farewell, the Aalmon and Icthya
continue their journey through the wilderness in a roughly northerly
direction. Both enjoy the experience, Aalmon for the wide open lands
well loved by the couriers and Icthya for the wildness of the foliage
and the proximity of the Paralistor River.

After several days journey the pair find themselves once again in Lunar
territory, and specifically the city of Palbar. This bustling metropolis
is the only true concentrated of people in the region and it puts Icthya
off slightly, however she has had several days of reserves of
country-side living and thus the shock of so many humans is not so bad
for her. Besides, she muses, there is something quite primitive about
this city...

The people are mostly of mixed stock, some from eastern nomad heritage,
some of local settled lands, others still Lunars from the neighbouring
First Blessed province, where the Red Goddess originated from. The lands
are known for their exceptional cavalry units which protect the eastern
wall of the empire from barbarian incursions. The quality of the horses
here is exceptional, as is riding equipment, lances, sabres and the
like. 

The pair have barely been in the city for several hours, when a Lunar
official, Satarnis, calls up Aalmon in a local public house; a horde of
Char-Un nomads are converging barely a day's ride away. Worse still, the
Rabbit Curse has struck! This exceedingly rare affliction strikes cities
of the Lunar Empire at seemingly random times; half the city's ordinary
domestic animals are turned into rabbits. As much as this delights
children, it has suddenly and severely depleted the cavalry. The Lunar
commander desparately needs someone to ride like the wind to First
Blessed, specifically Torang and summon Jar-eel the Razoress..