Wirg's Cafe & Bar is near Danstul' Park in Ekr'in District. A little off the beaten track and well within ex-pat country, it tends to attract a small, regular clientèle rather than the crowds that come to visit the nearby "Artists' Square" plaza. Patron and customers alike prefer it that way. It is not a fancy place by any means, though its signs written in the Yangae language do stand out among the sea of Her-Galad and Brekka (and possibly serve as an unwitting deterrent to the Hergoth crowds at the Square, who probably mistake it for a loyalist hangout). The massive and heavy main entrance, designed with Farbetts in mind, also catches the eye. Wirg has always done his best to cater to the ex-pat community in Ekr'in, providing both furnishings and wares that offer at least a substantial percentage of his varied clientèle a much-valued taste of home.
Nekshi likes it because it serves genuine, Zorlan-style kifra. Not many places get it right.
The crowd at Wirg's is its typically colorful montage when Nekshi, Granite Spear, and Zeton meet Widjgleeby there for lunch. The largest ethnic group to be found there at the moment is Foldorians, which seems ironic since Wirg himself is a Bolgan who fled slavery in the Empire years ago. However, the very nature of Ekr'in District, particularly in the vicinity of Danstul' Park, would seem to be a buffer against any traditional bigotry.
One of the Foldorians there is immediately recognized by Nekshi as Mon'Fargret, a local artist she has met before who is surprisingly of the Manager caste (but doesn't seem to like to discuss it). He is there with his business/artistic partner, an Annuitis named Dabid. Some quick greetings and introductions are exchanged, and it turns out Mon'Fargret and Zeton know each other indirectly but have never really met. Soon the party are sitting at adjoining tables and talking.
Zeton has been here before but isn't really a regular. Still, some of the faces there are definitely familiar. And that tall, blond-haired waitress...he remembers her well because he'd found her so intriguing last time he was there. She was clearly of one of the many post-Sarkon races, but which one? He starts discussing it quietly with Nekshi. Sarkon? No, her face isn't round enough. She's too fair complected to be either Dranazar or Ehrlathagi. Besteeng? No, too graceful and elegant. Nokfarri? No, too feminine. Zentrifiues? Maybe, but...she doesn't seem like the type. Obledaic? Possibly, but... Hmm. Definitely intriguing.
The other waitress, a blue-skinned, tiger-striped humanoid with an almost bestial demeanor (an Ilfroi, who are an Ergothei protectorate, and Nekshi recalls her name is Uskua) slinks up to the table and takes the party's order. Zeton is almost disappointed, but he doesn't show it much.
Just as Uskua starts to double-check the party's orders she is interrupted by a bit of commotion over at the counter.
"Enough already!" growls Weather Nose, a rather loud Alkan who is well known in these parts, in heavily-accented Yangae. He bangs down his mug of ale and adds, "Why are we watching this sand, anyway? Isn't there anything else on?"
"Not really," grunts Wirg in his husky tenor, swaggering toward the holovid. "The cables're still down."
"Still?!?" Weather Nose makes a sort of growl and bangs his palms on the counter. "What is wrong with this place?"
Uskua sighs. "Here we go again," she says quietly, giving the party an annoyed look.
"There's a war on, 'member?" retorts Wirg. "N' we're out'n the middle o' nowhere, right? When everythin's down, everythin's down. That's it. All we can do's wait for 'em to clear the channels again, right? Till then all we got's the local news...n' the Temple channel."
There are some snickers. Weather Nose splutters, "No, thank you. I get enough...how you say...spirit stuff...to make me want to hurl my spirit anytime I try to go anywhere or do anything on this damned rock. Damned Hergs..."
The place goes noticeably silent for a few heartbeats. More than one pair of eyes shifts toward Zeton just to make sure.
"Now, now," calls an unfamiliar, rowdy-looking Foldorian woman sweetly from where she is sitting with her similarly-dressed boyfriend. "You can't really blame the Hergoth. They are what they are. And only because Emperor Ty'Klemmo allowed them to be."
There are at least three other Foldorians in the cafe including Mon'Fargret, and all of them are clearly surprised at such open disrespect. Even disturbed. Dabid lets a low whistle escape his lips.
"Oh, no! Did I offend?" asks the girl, glancing around as her boyfriend snickers. "I keep forgetting! Forgive me!" Glancing at Mon'Fargret, she adds with a curt bow, "Especially you, my lord! I meant no disrespect to His Imperial Eminence, may His wisdom guide us all!" Turning back to her boyfriend, she shares a chortle with him.
After a tense pause, Weather Nose raps his knuckles on the counter and says, "Whatever. I don't really care whose wisdom guides who around here. All I know is that I don't want to spend my time watching...watching...little grade schoolers dancing, or...or that touchy-feely spirit baska!"
There are a few scattered chuckles or murmurs of assent.
"Wait," says the rowdy-looking Foldorian girl. "Wait! What about the Free Channel?"
The Free Channel! That new, local channel set up by Yangae loyalists! Much if not most of the population of Ekr'in District if not of Mul'ein does their best to avoid it. After all, it's nothing but Yangae propaganda and...
"The Talent Round-Up!" the girl goes on. "I think it's on now! Why don't you put it on?"
"I thought that was on at night," spits Weather Nose.
"The edited repeat is on at night," corrects the girl. "The unedited original plays live during the day!"
"What's the Talent Round-Up?" asks Widjgleeby.
"A sign the end is near," sighs Dabid, leaning on his elbow.
Mon'Fargret glares at his friend and then explains. It's a new program recently started by the Free Channel. It's essentially an open talent contest. Anyone can enter. It is currently in the first round, which is the weeding-out phase. Two panel judges plus one unseen judge (rumored to be a Noble) watch the performances, and only those accepted by all three are allowed to pass on to the next round. Eventually there will be a championship, and the winner will be given a chance to become a pro. Also, some of the losers are given a Second Chance pass, which allows them to perform at one of the most high-brow night clubs in Mul'ein.
The show is already a smash hit among the Yangae, and it also seems to be catching on more and more among the Hergoth. It is certainly getting a lot of attention in the local news media.
"A sign the end is near," repeats Dabid.
"Right, then," grunts Wirg, gesturing toward the holovid. "Talent Round-Up it is, then!"
Uskue grunts and starts to reconfirm the party's orders again. Then she stops. Looking toward the tall, blond waitress, she cries in Her-Galad, "Hey, Adulie, didn't your sister get a Second Chance pass on that thing?"
Adulie doesn't meet her gaze. "Yes, she did," she replies in very melodic, refined-sounding Her-Galad.
Almost everyone in the party can see that something is troubling the woman.
Almost everyone.
"Hey, will you get on with the order?" growls Widjgleeby.
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Granite Spear feels uncomfortable in this place, but it is where Nekshi wants her. She's already envisioned herself in combat with a number of patrons - not that she would attack them, but she prefers to imagine how she might do battle if it came to that.
Granite has intentionally left her "talk box" turned off, so as not to appear weak, but has generally understood what is going on. For the most part she doesn't care. She can tell there is some amount of arguing over... the holovid? What a waste!
The loud one is the most annoying. Everytime it bangs its drinking vessel, Granite's skin shivers with sensation, to the point of making it itch.
The Farbett is interesting... she wonders which gender it is, and whether they retain the same sex throughout life like the rest of these humanoids. Granite makes a mental note to ask Nekshi about it, next time they are alone.
Widjgleeby orders a large cup of tea and a plate of sandwiches, rare red meat and roasted peppers with an oil suspension sauce with spices. She's heard the sandwich is good and wants to add it to her recipe file. She also knows that it's better to do her "Farbett eating" out of sight of humanoids. They make strange faces.
She listens to the Yangae loyalists. They are funny. Her last employers were Loyalists. A relative of the old Emperor. He was not born by wife. He is a big bad bastard. He was terrified of assasination. He and his wife had bodyguards. The children had a nanny. She promised to die protecting them, but that was all she could do. She was a silly girl, with pretty pink sparkly fingers who couldn't even make a simple repair to the wiring in the environmental controls. So Man had hired Widjgleeby as Housekeeper. She was big and strong and could protect children. She was also stupid and did not understand words like "insurrection" or "vile usurper" that were used when Man had dinner parties and would not talk to people from new emperor's law. Man was wrong. Widjgleeby was smart. She was always learning. She owned very good dictionary.
(Note to Dewkid: most of the dialog so far has been in Yangae, so Granite Spear would probably understand much if not most of it. That last conversation between the two waitresses, however, was a bit iffy. You probably got: "...your sister...that...?" "Yes, she did.")
Uskua (the Ilfroi waitress) clearly looks relieved when Widjgleeby's order is finished, but she adds, "We do have some Farbett unba fungus, you know. It's not imported, but they say it's pretty good."
Mon'Fargret orders his usual mostly vegetarian fare trying to favor local produce and casually mentions to Zeton a couple of the more interesting aspects of rambal root cultivation. He also talked of Nekshi's previous visit to the shop and, in the true shopkeeper spirit, invites her to visit the establishment any time.
At the comment of the Foldorian woman, he successfully stifles an impulse of annoyance and turns it into a look of detached bemusement. He does let the pause sink in without comment however.
As the Talent show gets going, he leans over to Zeton and says, "It appears that tact has taken a vacation today, eh?"
(Mon'Fargret is the man in green with curly red hair in the picture. Zeton is the one in the blue and yellow hooded jumpsuit. If Mon'Fargret leaned over that far, I hope he avoided Granite Spear's [the red and purple being behind Dabid] spikes!)
Moving aside to accommodate Mon'Fargret's lean, Dabid raises an eyebrow at his comment.
"Tact?" he muses quietly. "I can't tell you how relieved I am to hear you say that, my lord. I guess the Civilized Realm has remembered its civility."
Zeton orders a traditional Hergoth lunch dish with a strong pot of Hergoth black tea. After confirming his order with Uskue and giving one last look at Adulie, he does his best to observe the two Yangae loyalists who seem determined to ruin everyone's lunch. Zeton attempts to do this very carefully, so the two Foldorians won't notice his interest. If he weren't in such a public setting and easily seen, he would like to take their photos to keep for his files. There's something about them that just doesn't seem right...
Zeton is also pleased that his Hergoth disguise seems to have fooled a few people since they looked at him when Weather Nose cursed the Hergoth. He knows his disguises are not fool proof, but it's always nice when they work properly.
Zeton notices Mon'Fargret motioning to him and so he excuses himself from his table and joins him and Dabid. The conversation is pleasant and about rambal roots and other foods. Mon'Fargret also has a rye comment about the lack of manners from the two Yangae loyalists.
"I concur with Dabid here, you certainly handled yourself very well. I just don't understand why these two Foldorians would be such loyalists to the Yangae? I know you don't know them, but do you think they suffered when the Yangae were ousted from power?"
Dabid's silver, slit-pupil eyes widen with astonishment for a moment.
"I guess you, like my lord here," he observes, "must be rather new to this world."
He throws a quick glance at the rowdy-looking loyalist pair before continuing.
"Of course, none of us here was born during the Yangae Era, so we only know what we learned in our history lessons. I can tell you this, though: the Yangae that stayed on this world haven't suffered a bit from the Restoration; on the contrary, the Hergoth have been far, far kinder to them than they ever were to the Hergoth!
"The only thing the Yangae have lost here is face. That and the privileges they used to enjoy. Under Hergoth rule they have to live as equals, and they can't handle that."
The loyalist girl slowly looks over her shoulder at Dabid, a quizzical look on her face.
"You a Herg-lover, purple?" she says in a lilting voice. "That's sad. Didn't the Civilized Realm teach you anything?"
One of the other Foldorians in the cafe bangs his glass on his table (causing Granite Spear to twitch).
"The Old Dark is over," he hisses. "We honor our allies as we honor the Realm!"
Nekshi remains quiet during most of the meal. She is concerned about the display of Yangae loyalty in such settings. Of course, it may just be the heat of youth, but it may also be a planned act from agents with an unknown agenda.
Whispering aside to Granite, she says, "I sense a tension in this room which may bring about physical conflict. Please react with discretion if this does happen."
Turning her attention to Widjgleeby she says, "I do hope that the Farbetts on planet have learned to deal with their place in history more rationally than others I may mention."
[Okay, I declare myself old and senile. The names, places, characters, and races are moving a little faster than I can remember or keep track of.
Like geology, I haven't looked at this stuff for a couple of decades. I don't know a Zorlan from a Farbett just like I know longer remember what drumlins or peneplains are from geology.
In order to stay sane, I've developed a couple visual aids to keep me on track. They might be wrong and/or incomplete, so feel free to edit and submit them to me for update.
The characters from the bar
Maps with labels of regional interest
]
Thanks, Don! Those are very good ideas...and sorry about the deluge of names.
I guess I should point out something I only lightly touched on in the original post. Almost all of the current customers in the cafe are people(?) that Mon'Fargret and Nekshi have seen before. The three non-loyalist Foldorians (two men and a woman) are well acquainted with Mon'Fargret. I mentioned in the post that even Zeton is familiar with some of the people there even though he isn't a regular. (Only Widjgleeby is a total newbie here and doesn't know anybody, though she does seem to remember the one Farbett customer from somewhere...)
As for the loyalist couple, Mon'Fargret has seen them before but doesn't really know them. Apparently they are newcomers to the area.
The only customer there that no one in the party knows anything about is...
Well, it's got to be the little guy in the hood. S/He seems rather quiet, maybe we should buy him/her/them/it a drink?
Nekshi will introduce herself and Granite Spear to "him", and try to strike up a conversation.
Yes, that's right...the little hooded guy, who was in his or her (its? their?) own isolated corner until you guys showed up.
First a little bit of description.
You really have no idea who or what the being in the hood is. You can't tell from the picture, but he or she seems to be mostly body! It's as if the hooded robe is just sitting on the chair. It is also very hunchbacked. In the depths of the hood you can see large, obviously bulbous eyes that luminesce in the light of the cafe. If you look carefully, you can see just a bit of a wide, pointy snout, dark gray-green in color, sticking out.
I forgot to include it in the illustration, but the being has a large goblet filled with what appears to be algae, which s/he is quietly slurping with a straw.
Nekshi, are you really going to speak to the little hooded guy? If so, what are you going to say?
Aside to Don:
Don't worry. I haven't been around this game much for 17 years. I've barely heard of some of the races and the ones I do know have changed quite a bit. I have the Player Guides Kevin sent me several years back all over my floor with post-its in important places. (Heiou!) (It also helps being a Farbett Housekeeper. ignorance of politics and haplotypes isn't so glaring when you're a cook)
I'm hungry. I want some meat.
Also - Thanks you Don! I was just about to do something similar for myself (including pictures!) Of course, I didn't know who all the aliases were, so that helps a bunch.
Cool, now on with the game!
Granite Spear grumbles when Nekshi motions her over, though no-one in the room probably even noticed the subtle heat change across her neck.
Granite activates her translator, and waits for Nekshi to speak.
Nekshi asks the hooded figure, "I notice you're enjoying some algae. Would it be presumptous to ask if it is vat grown or free-range algae? I much perfer the free-range variety."
Mon'Fargret is going to quietly check out the mouthier Foldorians if he can. He is also interested in what Uskua is all about. In an effort to catch a little information about both, he is going to wander towards her to ask about a local food item when she is in their proximity.
The hope is to casually catch a couple of snippets of talk and also to engage Uskua in conversation and turn the food conversation about what she is doing in Wirg's on Lyranell.
As Mon'Fargret gets up, Zeton quietly warns him and Dabid that he thinks the male Yangae loyalist may be armed.
"Whatever you do, be careful..." Zeton tells Mon'Fargret. Zeton thanks Dabid for his insight about the Yangae loyalists and then returns to the table with Nekshi and Granite Spear. He hopes to learn more about the hooded figure as well as to tell N. & G.S. his suspicions about the male Yangae once they've concluded their conversation with the hooded figure.
While Zeton is waiting he does his best to quietly keep an eye on Mon'Fargret and the male Foldorian that he thinks is armed. He does not wish to be caught unawares.
I will continue this on a new post.
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