[HQ Ignorance] Scene 110: Inside the Iron Fort

[Lev Lafayette]

Scene 110: Inside the Iron Fort

The weapons of the Fellowship are carefully and politely taken by the
guards inside the Iron Fort. The officer-in-charge reserved all his
conversation with The Seeker. It was unfathomable whether he did so
because of his desire to communicate with a dragonewt, or whether it was
because of a special loathing for foreigners. The latter did indeed seem
possible; after all everywhere they went throughout this building they
were treated with harsh stares. The Kralorelans may be a civilised
people, but their experience of barbarians at their gates have made them
suspicious to the point of paranoid.

Taken to a spacious quarters, with open-air courtyard ("Yin Yu Tang", a
servant explains), the Fellowship is able to explore, in a limited
sense, their new surrounds. Azhur is fascinated by the amount of iron
present and the defensive capabilities of the fort; four main towers,
connected to a central tower by a thin bridge. "A seige might work",
ponders the King. For his part Kalen says that the workmanship is
probably Mostal - who else could create a fort cast from a single piece
of iron? - but not any that he knew.

Jareena, cutting herself across the thumb with a fruit knife, attempts a
minor healing magic. She sighs as the magic fails. "What they say is
true. Magic does not work here. Which is wrong; this world is magical.
Only alien demons are without Power. What am I to make of these people?"

Rikku merely lazed outside in the courtyard with the Seeker (who helped
himself to a fish from the courtyyard pool), enjoying the surrounds. He
took some small delight in the half-furious, half-terrified face of the
guards as they looked towards him. It was like he was a creature from
mythology - a Godlearner! "Sheng-xue! Sheng-xue!" - the phrase was
whispered but just loud enough for the words to be caught.

"You know, these are very pleasant surroundings", Rikku remarked
lackadaisically. "But once again, I feel that we are prisoners. How
about we cause a bit of trouble to regain our sense of freedom?"

OOC: OK, you're in the Fort. The question is what do you want to do now
that you've gotten this far?