Session 19 covered 9 Nightdeep, 1714 PSF, in Argentum. Buying breakfast at the Canal Markets, Temerity met Miri Wetherlite, and carried a note from her to Rhysaene. Iva found a second route the Order of the Lantern’s guarded carriages take between the city’s barracks, and Rhysaene left her painting Burning Fields for sale at the Footlight Theater. That evening the party went to the Canal Markets’ night market to see Miri. There they were drawn into a feud between two of its merchants, Kusa Xungoon and Lamai Tyenmo, each sure the other was sabotaging her stall.
Synopsis
Breakfast
On the morning of 9 Nightdeep, 1714 PSF, for the first time in just short of a ten-day, Temerity did not have to be up early.12 She woke early anyway, sat for a while, and went for an hour’s jog around Argentum.3456 The streets were just coming alive, with people leaving their homes for work.7 It was a cold morning even in the Hearth Wall, and colder beyond the outer wall.8 The sky was overcast, as it almost always is. The city is usually too walled off for fog, but steam rose off the Grand Canal.910
On the south side of the Grand Canal the Canal Markets were setting up for the day: stalls, tents, stands and booths, and food carts cooking for the breakfast rush.11 There were fruits and vegetables grown in the city’s greenhouses, and a great deal of seafood, river fish and prawns among it.1213 An orcish man grilled skewered seafood beside his cart on the bank of the canal.13 There were trinket stands, a big tent with a wooden back selling spices, peppers and coffee, a pastry stand, and a stand selling seafood stews.141516 Temerity smelled the stalls before she reached them, got hungry, and decided to buy everybody breakfast.17
The pastry stand was large, with all kinds of baked goods, mostly desserts, and a lot of honey buns and sweetened buns.18 At the back, mixing ingredients, was a very old halfling woman in a green and tan dress, with a crown of flowers around her done-up grey hair: Vada.19 A young half-elven woman with shoulder-length, greenish dirty-blonde hair and darker olive skin was setting out the day’s goods.2021 Everything was an ember apiece except the vanilla buns, which were two crowns each, being an old family recipe.22 Temerity bought six honey buns with a crown, and the half-elf gave her four silver embers in change.2324 Temerity told Vada in Halfling that her flower crown looked gorgeous on her, and Vada brightened at the language and beamed.252627
As Temerity turned to go, the half-elf stopped her. “No, I know you. I wouldn’t forget you.” Temerity, Rhysaene and the others had helped get people out of the fire at the Festival of Bells.2829 The half-elf had just opened a pastry stand of her own there, with all her money in it, and it had burned down. She was not hurt, but she lost everything.3031 Things were looking better: Vada had tried her funnel cakes a couple of days before and hired her on the spot.3233 Temerity tried to give back the four embers. “We’re not looking for charity, dear,” said Vada, though she was welcome to buy four more buns.343536 There is no tipping in Argentum.37
The half-elf asked whether Temerity knew Rhysaene. She had a message for her, and had been holding it for a couple of days, meaning to find a courier, but did not know where Rhysaene lived.3839 Temerity saw nothing odd in the request and agreed.4041 From a bag behind the counter the woman brought out a slightly rough, crumpled piece of parchment folded in half.42 Temerity checked that her name was Miri.4344
Some of the market’s stalls and tents stand all the time, and some carts move about the market and are taken to festivals.4546 Temerity found one of the carts, with a grill beside it and the words “the Trusty Leek” burned into its side. A tall, strapping orc, Sid Squid, tended the grill.46474849 “Seven skewers, my word. You must be hungry.”50 Grilling that many took a couple of minutes. Sid threaded shrimp, cut fish and other local seafood onto the skewers with grilled vegetables and peppers, and wrapped the bundle in wax paper.514952 It came to fourteen embers, and Temerity paid a crown and four embers.5253
Miri’s Note
At Rhysaene's apartment, Rhysaene was finishing her painting, Iva was writing notes, and Luma was researching on the couch.545556 With Beepo’s help, Luma made considerable progress on one of the little projects she works on in her spare time, one related to ink. Beepo was surprisingly helpful, if only for being full of magic ink.5758 Hazel was up early and staying around in case anything happened.5960
Temerity came back with a paper bag of pastries and the bundle of skewers, and gave everyone a honey bun and a skewer.6162 Not knowing what Beepo ate, she got him both, and gave Sage only a skewer, since dogs do not eat bread.63 Beepo walked about holding the pastry and the skewer like a shield and sword.64 When Temerity came over, Iva covered her notes like test answers. Temerity had said she did not want to know about it, and appreciated the discretion.656667 The buns and the skewers were both very good.68 The four embers Temerity had been given in change were still silver, and had not turned to copper.69
Temerity handed Rhysaene the crumpled note, from Miri at the pastry stall.7071 Rhysaene knew her. “Yeah, she’s a sweetie. I painted a sign for her.”7273 The last time Rhysaene had seen her was when she bought a shield, and she had not known Miri was working two jobs.747576 Rhysaene read the note, and was very happy with it. She folded it gently and put it in a pocket.777879 Miri had a vanilla bun waiting for her if she came to the market some night soon.8081
The Transfer Routes
Iva set out to wander the streets, and Rhysaene bonked her on the head as she went. Iva rubbed it: “I deserve that this time.”828384 She spent a couple of hours going back and forth between the barracks of the Order of the Lantern and the Stone Shields, learning every route used for official business between them.85 The main route was the one she had seen the Order use before.86 Spending the time on it, she found that they often take a second, longer route as well.87 One of the guarded carriages set off north instead of south, and the only way to confirm the route was to follow it.8889 Iva was not well enough hidden to be undetectable, but the guard on point was particularly inattentive that day and did not catch her.9091 The second route is used less often, being longer, and goes the other way around the city.91 The Order uses no other routes without some unusual reason.92 Iva also learned the escort formation for a carriage, which she took to hold a prisoner: four guards and one driver.9394 It took a few hours, and she dropped an update off in the dead drop.9596
Burning Fields
Rhysaene’s painting was finished. It showed a scene from her dream, an ancient, beautiful field being set alight.97 “Oh yes, that’s so pretty,” said Luma.98 Rhysaene wanted to go back to the theater, to see how everyone was doing and ask whether she could put the painting up for sale.99100 Temerity wondered whether it would be weird there. It would be a good way to find out, said Rhysaene.101102 Hazel was going with her whether she wanted it or not. “You just need to make sure that you’re okay, no attempts on your life.”103104 Iva was far away, and they did not wait for her.105106
Rhysaene wrapped the painting in wrapping paper. She does not use a maker’s mark, and lets a piece speak for itself, but she dipped a hoof in black paint and rested it on the paper to show it was authentic.107108109 Temerity carried it, as delicately as she could.110111 Going to the theater meant crossing into the Lantern Wards, so Hazel got into Luma’s hat, the Hat of Witchery.112113 They crossed one of the bridges without trouble.114
At the Footlight Theater the Candlelight Players were rehearsing a play, and rewriting it as they went.115116 Rhysaene signaled to someone who was not in the scene, so as not to interrupt.117 When the scene ended, Cassius Vane hopped down from the stage. “Rhysaene, it’s always lovely to see you here.”118 She had finished a new piece, and wanted to see about putting it up for sale.119120 She took the painting from Temerity and unveiled it for him.121122 Cassius stroked his neatly trimmed grey beard, deep in thought, and after a minute said: “Rhysaene, this is quite beautiful.”123
The theater sometimes sells art on consignment, he said. They could hang it in the front lobby with a card giving her name and price, or she could tell him the least she would take and they would see how long it was before someone offered it.124125 Considering the materials, Rhysaene asked 145 crowns.126127 It would probably not sell right away, said Cassius, but he was sure it would sell for that much. She signed a card and named the painting Burning Fields, for now.128129130 Cassius hung it in the entrance hallway where it would be seen, with the card attached so that it did not touch the painting.131
Rhysaene asked whether there was anything she could paint while she was there.132 The troupe was still writing its next performance, said Cassius, and now that he had seen the quality of her recent work he did not want to pay her for something they would have to redo. They would wait until the final designs were settled.133134 Everyone was well. Iados had stubbed his toe on a prop helmet a couple of days before, but it had not hurt his footwork, which was lucky, since he was likely to be in a sword fight. Sera Siannodel and Donella Daergel were doing well.135136137 Rhysaene kissed Cassius on both cheeks, and outside the theater she did a little chest bump.138139
The money would be good, Rhysaene said, and she wanted to spoil the others.140 Not for her, said Temerity. “No, I do,” said Rhysaene, and gave her an evil, menacing look.141142143 Hazel was still in the hat, and Beepo had climbed in with her. The hat has more space inside than out, and every time Beepo poked her, Hazel pawed back. It soon became a game, with Beepo blocking her with his pastry.144145146147148149
Since they were already out, Temerity suggested visiting Miri, but the note had said to come some night soon. Rhysaene wanted to go that night, and the others would go with her.15081151152 They met Iva as they got back to the apartment.153 Hazel popped out of the hat. People had kept trying to fight her, she said.154155 Beepo came out wearing a championship wrestling belt he had made out of ink.156157 Temerity checked in at the barracks that day and learned that the resumption of her training would be posted on the board two days before it began, so she would not miss it if she did not check in daily.158159160
The Night Market
In the evening the party followed the canals south to see Miri.161162 The light was dimming, though it was not yet sunset, and the Everfire lanterns came on. There are not many in the Hearth Wall, but the canals are lined with them.162163 The water, usually a crisp, clear blue, took on a cyan hue against the orange light of the liquid lava in the glass cylinders beneath its surface, and it steamed as the cool evening air met it.163164
Hazel and Temerity had never seen the market at night.165 It was lit by the glow from the canal behind it, and by candles and oil lamps throughout.166 On many nights the market goes on into the late hours by oil lamp, with live music, food, and little games and activities, like a smaller, impromptu version of the Synod’s festivals.167 As the party arrived, the last bell rang the change from day to evening and the market came to life. The food carts smelled of potstickers, desserts, spiced meats and sticky buns, and the light of the oil lamps and of the everfire lamps drowned beneath the canal wavered across the awnings.168 Temerity knew Miri’s stall was at the far end, so they took the scenic route.169170171
A Stone Shield in uniform and armor gave Temerity a little nod as they passed, and she nodded back.172173 One of the larger stalls had caught fish and other seafood laid out, but its lights were not lit and no one was there. Its sign read Xungoon Family Seafood.174175176 Hazel kept an eye out for anyone shady, and saw no one, and kept close to Rhysaene.177178179
Luma asked Rhysaene how people get a stall, and Rhysaene did not know.180181 Luma had no job, and was thinking of getting a stall of her own.182 She knew carpentry from working with her family in their workshops, and could make chairs, stools, tables and doors.183184 “We need money. And Rhys is doing a good job, but I want to help out too.”185 She could not afford a whole shop.186 Rhysaene offered to paint on her furniture, and Luma offered to make frames for Rhysaene’s paintings.187188
The Spicy Brothers
The tent with the wooden back that Temerity had seen that morning was one of the busier stalls, with a sign that read Spicy Brothers.189190191 It sold spices, seasonings, peppers and coffee beans, and a few cooked dishes: cucumber fire smoothies and honey-glazed hot chips.192190 It had seats at a counter like a bar, and tables.193 An assistant in green and red silks waited on people, drinking a glass of red wine herself. With her was a human man in fine red silk trimmed with gold.194195 The stall smelled of roasting chili peppers, crushed red pepper and fresh ground coffee.196 Most peppers were a silver or two a pound, and some more exotic ones were priced by the pepper. The smoothies and the chips were five embers each.197198
Spicy food is uncommon in the Silver Vale, though not unheard of.199 The Vale is cold. Argentum has greenhouses all over the city, and many survivors brought seeds when Bahamut led them there after the Starfall, so fruits and vegetables from milder climates grow in the city. In the rest of the Vale they are found only when someone buys them in the city.200201202203 Having lived in Crick's Bend all her life, Temerity had probably never had anything very spicy.204
Luma went up to the stall. The man in red, who wore a green sash, did not know her face, and asked how he could be of service.205 He and his brother had worked there since they opened, about fifteen years before. The city requires a permit, but the Canal Market Merchants Council handles that for anyone on its good side.206207 There are no dues, but there is rent on the site, a small fee, and taxes. It is not formally a guild. Someone could go to the city for a permit, but would then be on the bad side of pretty much everyone.208209210 The council has no building. Its members were himself; his brother, Kasem Aroon; Madam Kulp, who has a silk stall at the other end and is very respected; Lamai Tyenmo, who owns a noodle stall; Kusa Xungoon, who owns the seafood place just to the north; Vada; and Va, who sells trinkets and jewels. They were the people Luma would have to win over.211212213214
He was the least useful person to ask, he said, since he was retiring in a few weeks, and it would not be appropriate for him to put in a good word for someone he had not got to know. His brother would be the sole proprietor of the Spicy Brothers.215216 He looked to be in his late twenties or early thirties.217 He could arrange a time for Luma to meet his brother.218 Luma meant to open a carpentry stall: trinkets, stools, chairs, tables and doors.219220221 Doors, he thought, would want a proper shop, but small furniture would do.222223 Some of the market’s sellers carve wooden trinkets, but no one there sold furniture.224 Anyone who set up there and became a member of the community would find the merchants like family to each other, so long as no one tried to undercut anyone else.225226 In furniture she would be competing only with House Sterling, who he had heard were trying to get into it.226227
Every hour, on the hour, the stall holds the Aroon family pepper challenge, a test of endurance against the spiciest peppers known to the Silver Vale, and entry is free.228229230 Iva would take the challenge, and so would Temerity.231232 The next round was thirty or forty minutes away.233 Winners are not required to defend the title, he said. It would be dishonorable not to, but it was for fun.234235 Luma went back to Rhysaene with what she had learned, having forgotten to arrange the meeting.236237
Vada’s Otherworldly Goods
At the far end of the market, Vada and Miri were at work at Vada's Otherworldly Goods.238 Miri turned and saw Rhysaene. “Rhysaene! Oh, you came! I’m so glad!”239 “I got your letter!” said Rhysaene, and Miri mouthed a thank you to Temerity.240241 Hazel kept a hand on the sickle under her cloak.242 Vada was at the back, decorating cupcakes.243 Rhysaene hugged Miri. It was not Miri’s own place, which was unfortunate, but it was very nice, and she was glad Vada had been willing to hire her.244245 The work did not yet pay enough to live on, and she was saving for a stall of her own again, so she still worked at the Sterling Expeditionary as well. “But I’m getting paid to do what I love.”246247
Miri had put one of Vada’s vanilla buns aside for Rhysaene. They are normally two whole crowns, and Vada says she is taking the family recipe for the vanilla to the grave.248249250 “They’re good,” said Vada, from the back.251 The bun was very soft, dense and a little chewy, with a spring to it as Rhysaene tore off a bite, and full of vanilla.252253 “I made that one,” said Miri. “Not the vanilla. Vada won’t tell me how to do that. But I made the bun.”254255 It was one of the best things Rhysaene had ever tasted.256 Miri would be there a few hours yet. The market usually winds down after midnight.257258
Rhysaene told Miri she was selling a painting soon. It had come to her in a dream, and it was melancholy, not the happier kind of thing she usually painted.259260 When Miri got her own stall, Rhysaene would paint for her, and Miri said she would take her up on it.261262 To Rhysaene, Miri seemed happier than when she had worked at the Sterling Expeditionary.263
Miri remembered the others from the festival, but had not properly met them.264 Temerity gave her name.265 “You didn’t see me at the festival. You must be mistaken,” said Hazel.266 “Yeah, you didn’t see me at the festival either, because I wasn’t there,” said Iva, who was wearing a face Miri had never seen.267268 Miri was extra confused, since she had seen Hazel there.269
Miri spends her days off from the Expeditionary working at the stall, and Rhysaene could stop by whenever she was there. Vada did not mind, and Rhysaene promised to buy something from her every time.270271272273 “You better, dearie.”274 Rhysaene wanted to spend some time with Miri, and Miri had the 12th off, so they could meet for drinks.275276 Her favorite place for drinks was the Dancing Sword.277278 Mr. Dorian was very proud of his dancing sword, she said, and whispered that she had heard it was not real, though he liked to say it was.279280 Luma said she would find out, and Miri asked her to let her know.281282 Rhysaene winked at her, and Miri blushed and smiled.283284 Rhysaene had a date with Miri at the Dancing Sword on the 12th.285
There were about twenty-five minutes until the challenge. The stalls grew sparser to the east, and in the distance stood a big round tent of brilliantly colored silks.286287
The Onion Thief
As the party made their way back toward the Spicy Brothers, shouting rose over the haggling and the sizzle of street food. “Give it back, you little thief!” “No, you’re the thief!”288 A frantic kobold burst from the crowd clutching a sizable bunch of green onions, chased by a flustered gnome woman.289 The kobold, a tiny child, ran into Luma’s back, bounced off, and landed on his back, scattering green onions everywhere.290 Hazel drew her sickle and pointed it at him, and Iva ran over to help him up.291292
“You pesky little thief! You stole my onions!” said the gnome. “You stole them first!” said the child. Why, she asked, would she steal onions from his cart, when his family sold seafood? “We need onions for seafood, duh!”293294 A kobold woman came out from behind a tent and put herself between her son and the gnome. “Lamai, you’re behaving no better than our parents did, stealing from me and attacking my son.” Lamai said she had grown those onions.295296 They argued back and forth, nearly oblivious to the crowd watching.297
Then the kobold woman pointed at Luma. “You! You strangers look like capable sorts. I’m Kusa, Kusa Xungoon, proprietor of the market-famous Xungoon Family Seafood. For a fish typhoon, you’ll wish for Xungoon.” She would make it worth their while if they helped her deal with this scoundrel.298 The gnome calmed herself and turned to Luma as well. “I’m Lamai Tyenmo.” If Luma helped her figure out what was going on, she would give her a lifetime supply of noodles from Tyenmo Noodles.299 Kusa said they did not want her worthless noodles.300
Luma had thought they were meant to be family in this market.301 So they were, said Lamai, except that Kusa’s child kept stealing from her cart and sabotaging her business. Kusa said it was Lamai sabotaging theirs, and blaming them for her own bad business practices.302 Kusa offered free seafood for life and fifty crowns for proof that the noodle seller was sabotaging her.303 Lamai asked Luma’s name, then offered a hundred crowns, noodles for life, and to teach her to hand-pull a Mobius noodle, a mythical noodle unheard of in those lands and an ancient family secret. Kusa said it was a physical impossibility.304305 By the end, each was offering a hundred crowns and food for life.306 Luma asked what kind of lifetime they meant. Kusa gave herself seven or eight years, maybe a dozen, and Lamai another fifty to a hundred. “Aw, that’s so dreadfully short,” said Luma.307308
Luma turned down both offers, but would help them both. “Because I want to be part of this family. And family people help each other.”309 Both screamed in unison that she could not help them both.310 Lamai insisted Kusa’s child had stolen her onions, and the child, Gammon, insisted he had seen her steal them first.311 The party read nothing from Lamai but anger. She had a decent case, since the child had been running with the onions, and he was plainly lying.312313314
Luma crouched down and asked him where the onions came from. From the onion store, he said. Did he have a receipt? He had lots of recipes. Luma explained that a proof of purchase could not be written, only received. “Man, I have to steal a proof of purchase to… I mean, ah, crud.”315316317318319320 Luma patted him on the head and suggested giving the onions back.321 He gathered them up with Rhysaene’s help and handed them to Lamai, who yanked them out of his hand. He had only done it, he said, because she was sabotaging his mom’s business.322323324 Mischief in answer to mischief only makes more mischief, said Luma, and Hazel added that it is very embarrassing to get caught. That part, Gammon agreed, was true.325326327
Kusa had not raised her son to be a thief. He was driven to it because Lamai had stolen their fish and other ingredients, knocked over barrels of their fish sauce, and almost set their stall on fire.328329 Luma asked why she thought it was Lamai.330 “Who else could it be?” Lamai had hated her family for generations, said Kusa. “Yes, and that feeling is mutual, isn’t it, Kusa?” said Lamai. “You have not been kind to us either.”331332 Their argument slipped into a language none of the party spoke. As a trained linguist, Luma could rule out the close relatives of the languages she knows. It was not Halfling, Gnomish, Giant or Sylvan. It was not Draconic either, though it had some very distant root similarities to it.333334335336
Both demanded that Luma take one of their offers.337 She asked instead for help getting a stall once her paperwork was settled.338 Lamai would gladly put in a good word once Luma proved the fiend was sabotaging her, being incredibly popular with the other members of the Canal Market Merchants Council. Kusa would do the same if Luma proved it was Lamai.339340 Once Luma worked out who had done what, they would know who owed her the favor. Each was sure she would find the other guilty, and they agreed.341342 Luma made them look each other in the eye and shake on a truce: no funny business until the matter was solved.343344345 Lamai went back to her stall, and Kusa led Gammon back to theirs.346 “I think I got an in,” said Luma. “Let’s solve a mystery.”347348 From her pack she took a detective hat, a monocle and a bubble pipe.
Kasem Aroon
A man basically identical to the man at the Spicy Brothers came up to them, dressed in green silks with a red sash.349 Luma asked whether he had changed his outfit. He had not: they must have met his brother, Vi, and he was Kasem Aroon.350351 He had seen them pulled into the family feuding, felt so bad that he came to ask if they were all right, and offered them a tour of the market to take their minds off it.352353354 Luma looked to Rhysaene for permission, and Rhysaene waved her off.355356
The onions were petty nonsense, said Kasem, and the market had much nicer things in it.357358 When Luma said she had been hired to solve the sabotage, he said he could solve it for her at once. “They’re both guilty. They’re both sabotaging each other. It’s incredibly obvious the way they behave.”359360 He had no proof, but it was common knowledge, and not worth getting involved in their petty familial squabble.361362 Luma said the two would help her with the council. “Oh, you’re looking to open a shop?” “I’m going to make doors.” “Well, Mr. Doormaker,” he could probably put in a good word for her, if she proved compatible with the quality and atmosphere the market was looking for.363364365366 He offered to show them the nicer restaurants and Madam Kulp’s silks, away from the people who gave the market a bad name.367 Luma wrote his name in her notes, and beside it that he seemed suspicious.368369
Luma asked why his brother was retiring. Vi was getting married, said Kasem, and wanted to spend time with his spouse and start a family. They had made a sizable sum over a decade and a half, and Vi wanted to take his share and be done with it.370371372 He was happy for his brother, but sad for the business they had built together, which would have trouble keeping up with half the talent.373374 Rhysaene asked who the bride was, and he gave a name the party did not know.375376 When Iva suggested that less competition would help, he glared at her. “That’s not really how we do business around here.” “It’s a family,” said Luma. “Exactly. Luma, you understand.”377378379380
When Luma and Iva said they were entering the pepper challenge, Kasem rolled his eyes. His brother’s challenge was a silly old tradition, a game and a gimmick, and he wished Vi would let the quality of their merchandise stand on its own.381382 “You seem to dislike your brother,” said Hazel. “That’s an outrageous thing to say. I love my brother.”383384 He wished the market would depart from such vapid traditions and grow as a place of business.385 Temerity thought such things offered something intangible, making a business part of the community. He asked how many years she had run a business. “I helped run a church.” “Did you charge people?” “No.” “Then that’s not a business.”386387388389390391 He would defer to his own decade and a half, and give them the tour after the challenge.392393 Luma and Iva tried to talk him into joining them. He smiled a forced smile and declined, and walked off.394395396
“He seems suspicious,” said Luma. Iva was certain he was the one sabotaging everything, and Hazel observed that for someone so torn up about his brother retiring, he hated all of his brother’s business strategies.397398399
The Pepper Challenge
More people had gathered at the Spicy Brothers to take part or watch, and Vi was calling in the crowd. “Come on, come all. Greet the heat at the Spicy Brothers.”400401 Temerity, Luma, Iva and Hazel took seats at the front of the tent. Rhysaene, who prefers to enjoy her food, watched.402403404405 In front of each of them was a basket of colorful peppers, all nearly identical, and there were pitchers of milk.406407 “Welcome challengers to the Aroon family pepper challenge. I’m your host, Vi Aroon. Is everybody ready to greet the heat?”407 Each would eat three peppers, taken at random from their baskets, and win by getting through all three without leaving, drinking the milk or passing out from the heat.408409
In the first round Hazel drew a burning waves pepper, whose heat comes twice, and began to struggle.410 Iva drew a common garden chili pepper, and did not find it very spicy.411 Luma and Temerity both drew flamethrower chilies, which burst in a cloud of red and reddish-orange sparkling dust. Had either of them coughed, the powder would have gone everywhere.412413 Luma leaned over to breathe fire at the ground, and breathed a cloud of chili powder.414415 When Iva rubbed Hazel’s back, Hazel told her not to touch her.416417
In the second round Luma and Iva drew sweet heat peppers, a lucky pull and probably the tastiest pepper on offer.418 Temerity drew a cherry tomato.419 Hazel drew the skull-faced pepper, the spiciest they have. The pain was intense and searing, and for a split second every face around her looked like a skull.420421422 She would not reach for the milk, and lost consciousness for a few seconds, which put her out of the challenge.423424 In the third round Iva and Luma drew cherry tomatoes, and Temerity a sweet heat pepper.425426 Vi declared three winners and one very determined runner-up.427 The winners could have the run of any one thing the stall sold, and everyone who took part was welcome to some fresh, cool yogurt.428429
Luma had found it really unpleasant. “I think I like spicy food,” said Temerity.430431 For her prize Iva asked for a skull-faced pepper, which usually costs a crown.432433434 She ate it whole in one bite, saw every face around her turn to a skull, and drank the milk.435436437 Luma did not like peppers at all, and gave her prize to Temerity.438 The stall has few dishes, mostly selling spices, whole peppers and coffee.439 Temerity took honey-glazed hot chips, made with sweet heat peppers, and a bag of dark roast coffee wrapped in wax paper.440441442443 Hazel had not finished and got nothing.444 Vi clapped each of the others on the back, but not Hazel, since she had said not to touch her.445
The challenge is a mainstay of the Lavalight Night Market, said Vi.446 Iva asked whether Lamai and Kusa fought a lot. Families fight sometimes, he said, and he had fought with his brother earlier, but it had never been as bad as in the past few weeks.447448 A lot of strange mishaps had been happening at the market, mainly to the two of them. He was not surprised they blamed each other first, and would not be surprised if they were guilty.449 It had been a while since they had a three-way tie.450 When Iva said her last pepper had been a tomato, Vi said the cherry tomatoes keep things interesting.451 When Luma said Kasem was giving them a tour, Vi was glad his brother was getting more involved in the market, since he would be taking over the business.452453 Luma congratulated him on his wedding.454 He told Hazel he was sorry she had not had a good time. “Don’t apologize.”455456
Madam Kulp’s Silk
Kasem asked Luma how the challenge had gone, and began the tour. They had already seen the Spicy Brothers, which he called the most successful and best food business in the market, and he led them all the way to the far end, to Madam Kulp's Silk.457458459 The tent was made of colored silks woven together, each with a pearlescent sheen in the light of the oil lamps and the glow from beneath the river’s surface.460461 Inside were rolls of silk, and gowns and garb made from it.462 Madam Kulp, an elderly gnomish woman in bright blue, red and yellow silks, with big round glasses, had caterpillars half a foot long crawling on her shoulder, her head and one arm, and all around the tent.463464 “Welcome! Welcome to Madam Kulp’s Silk. I’m Madam Kulp. This is silk.” She tailors, and could make anything for the right price.465466
Hazel set about gathering the caterpillars. They are very friendly, said Madam Kulp, but delicate, and they like to be petted gently.467468 The first two let Hazel gather them up, and trilled like a purring cat when she petted them, but after that the rest scattered in terror under tables and curtains.469470 Hazel sat in a corner with her two.471 Iva found one that let her pet it, and every other one she reached for fled.472 Madam Kulp frowned and muttered under her breath.473 When Kasem said the party had wanted to see the market, she thought it very kind and community-minded of him. He watched the caterpillars scatter, raised an eyebrow, and went outside to wait.474475
Madam Kulp makes all her silk from what her tut-krogh caterpillars weave. It is stronger than ordinary silk, and makes very durable garments.476477 It feels like water, perfectly smooth and cool to the touch.478 A garment starts at fifty crowns, and a square yard of silk is twenty-five.479480 Most of the caterpillars had gone into hiding.481 Asked where they came from, Madam Kulp said they came north with her family. Her ancestor brought them in the immediate aftermath of the Starfall, and her family has bred them ever since, as long as it has lived in Argentum.482483484 They are not native to the Vale. As far as she knows, the ones she breeds at her home are the only ones in the Vale, and they might be the only ones in the world, if the Sorrow has taken the others.484485486
They are not usually so skittish, she said.487 Lately they had grown anxious whenever she walked past the Xungoon or Tyenmo tents, and now they were doing it in her own tent.488489 She knew of no mischief, only that the caterpillars sometimes took fright, which they never used to.490
Behind a hanging length of silk, Luma quietly cast detect magic, and found nothing she did not expect.491492 Then, in her detective hat and monocle with the bubble pipe in her mouth, she searched.493494 Outside the tent she found the peels of a fruit she did not recognize, and a smell as though someone had just struck a match.495496 The peels were persimmon.497 She put them in a little bag and marked it as evidence, but found nothing that had been set on fire.498499 She had seen plenty of people smoking, but could not recall any particular stall owner who did.500
Inside, Madam Kulp was trying to collect and calm her caterpillars.501 Hazel took fresh leaves from her bag, calmed every caterpillar she got her hands on, and handed them back. Madam Kulp put each one on herself until she was covered in them.502503504505 Hazel had done a very good job of calming them, she said. “I like animals,” said Hazel. “Well, they seem to like you.”506507508 Her stock was too expensive to reward them with, but she offered them local gossip.509
Lamai and Kusa, said Madam Kulp, were upset, but would never really hurt each other, not intentionally. Their parents had had a terrible feud, much worse than this, and whatever was going on was a little out of character.510511 When Luma pointed out that someone was hurting someone, she agreed that was very troubling.512513 Kasem and Vi Aroon had run the Spicy Brothers for many years and were part of the family, and she knew of no trouble over the wedding.514515 Luma and Hazel saw no deception in her, but felt she was saying less than she was thinking, particularly when Kasem was mentioned. It was nothing, she said.516517
Asked how Kasem would do on his own, she said his giving them a tour had surprised her. If he kept stepping up he would do all right, but his brother was the more charismatic of the two, and it would be a loss for the business.518519 She had promised gossip, but was not sure she had seen right, since her eyes were not what they used to be.519 She was glad Luma wanted a stall, but she was against spreading misinformation. “If I don’t know it’s true when I say it, is that really any different than a lie?”520521522 Iva asked her to tell her and Rhysaene at least, since they loved gossip, and Rhysaene told her they would be keen to hear what someone of her wisdom and age had to say.523524
She had made it seem a bigger deal than it was, said Madam Kulp. She wondered whether Kasem’s new pet was what scared her grubs, though she did not know that he had one. She thought she had seen him feeding oranges to something behind his tent the other day, but when she looked, nothing was there.525526 Madam Kulp would put in a good word for Luma’s stall, though Luma would need more than hers.527528 There were about twenty caterpillars, and every one had a name.529530 The party left the tent. As far as they knew, Kasem was waiting just outside.531532
Featured Characters
Player Characters
New
Returning
Mentioned
Quotations
- “No, I know you. I wouldn’t forget you.” Miri Wetherlite to Temerity.29
- “We’re not looking for charity, dear.” Vada to Temerity.35
- “Seven skewers, my word. You must be hungry.” Sid Squid to Temerity.50
- “Rhysaene, this is quite beautiful.” Cassius Vane, on Burning Fields.123
- “But I’m getting paid to do what I love.” Miri Wetherlite.247
- “I made that one. Not the vanilla. Vada won’t tell me how to do that. But I made the bun.” Miri Wetherlite to Rhysaene.254
- “For a fish typhoon, you’ll wish for Xungoon.” Kusa Xungoon.298
- “Because I want to be part of this family. And family people help each other.” Luma to Kusa Xungoon and Lamai Tyenmo.309
- “Man, I have to steal a proof of purchase to… I mean, ah, crud.” Gammon Xungoon.320
- “Then that’s not a business.” Kasem Aroon to Temerity.391
- “Is everybody ready to greet the heat?” Vi Aroon.407
- “I think I like spicy food.” Temerity.431
- “If I don’t know it’s true when I say it, is that really any different than a lie?” Madam Kulp.522
Inventory
- Six honey buns from Vada's Otherworldly Goods, bought by Temerity for a crown. The four embers of change stayed silver.
- Seven seafood skewers from the Trusty Leek, bought by Temerity for fourteen embers.
- Miri Wetherlite’s note to Rhysaene, carried by Temerity.
- Burning Fields, left on consignment at the Footlight Theater for 145 crowns.
- A vanilla bun, Miri’s gift to Rhysaene.
- A skull-faced pepper, Iva’s prize from the Aroon Family Pepper Challenge, eaten at once.
- Honey-glazed hot chips and a bag of dark roast coffee, Temerity’s prize and Luma’s.
- Persimmon peels, collected by Luma as evidence outside Madam Kulp's Silk.
- Iva’s updated notes on the transfer routes, left in a dead drop.
Speaking Time
| Speaker | Time | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Dungeon Master | 2:02:30 | 46% |
| Temerity | 39:23 | 15% |
| Luma | 31:30 | 12% |
| Rhysaene | 30:04 | 11% |
| Iva | 26:02 | 10% |
| Hazel | 18:06 | 7% |