Turn 148
    Day 2 - Job Interview - In progress
    Val is intrigued by Barrend's descriptions. After a bit of conversation about charting techniques, Val gets to the import questioning... "If given the opportunity, how would you chart a never before visited sphere?" he asks, curious to see how the navigator responds.
    Barrend doesn't answer immediately, "A never visited sphere... So that Emmet fellow wasn't just boasting when he claimed you traveled to truly uncharted parts, was he?", he pauses again. "I've made updated charts and took notes in the past, but those were know spheres, only the routes changed. A new sphere would be a bigger challenge. I have never mapped a sphere itself. The entry point to the sphere would be the easy part since while we are still within the Flow, I can find out where we are. But once we go through the crystal wall, it's another story. I would need to chart the stars themselves as soon as we emerged inside. I would have NO reference points to plan a route. We come in effectively lost. It would mean sticking close to the crystal wall much longer than usual, long enough to pinpoint the major visible landmarks, calculate our position, move forward, observe again the landmarks to better triangulate their positions within the sphere. I would be continually updating our position, taking notes about every feature we see. It will be mostly scribbles and notes at first. A usable map, one that your employer would like, can take many days to make, but anybody taking the time to go through my notes will come up with what he needs."
    While Barrend continues on some of the subtleties, Val senses that the dwarf is feeling anxious, his stubby fingers fidgeting around his walking stick. But Val is unsure if it is because Barrend is realizing the potential risks of entering an unknown sphere or that he feels his experience would be lacking overall. Val gets his answer at seeing the faint crack of a smile on the dwarf's face and a twinkle in his eyes behind his spectacles, his nervousness is coming from the expectation of something grand in the near future. He doesn't seem to fear the unknown.
    "Captain... Before I get too excited, I have a few questions of my own.", Barrend considers his words, "What exactly is the mission of the _Distraction_? From afar, I mistook the ship for a Dragonfly class, but no Dragonfly I ever saw was built like this. Much hardier. On the surface you really look like an exploration ship. But Emmet said you went on rescuing damsels in distress, liberating forgeships and investagating theological conspiracies I think he mentionned. Profit seemed incidental. I would've said he was boasting, but looking at the build of this ship, it's almost as if it was expecting trouble, I'm not so sure if he really was boasting that much. And Three Trees paid for this!? The spheres I've travelled lately were quite untroubled. The closest thing I've heard to exciting news recently is that merchant ship the _Blackbird_ met that crossed a Hextorian ship a while back."

    Day 2 - Planning - Closed
    Emmett has been keeping his counsel since he felt Inez stiffen at the thought of actively pursuing the Hextorians. "Well, I need to visit the temple of Gond tomorrow and fill them in. The might be able to offer some insight into who *should* be looking into this. Other people might already be involved, and Lynden could confer with them without us getting in any deeper."
    Ibn Fadil senses Emmett's disappointment with that strategy, and the reason for suggesting it, and is somewhat surprised, but says nothing.
    "Well, I've already said my piece but I'm prepared to wait until we're in accord." Lynden comments quietly. "Let's see what Emmett's visit brings to light."
    And with that, the group separates to pursue their own avenues of inquiry.

    Day 3 - ibn Fadil and Pham - Closed?
    "I know it isn't much by way of information, but I hope I have been of some assistance. I am curious as to what prompted the question?"
    "Today I spoke with someone I know in town, who told me that he thinks this apostate hermit exists because of a couple of times that his ex-colleagues have been in port trying to collect people to go after him. He also told me that Hextorians all over the place have been going off somewhere. The only ones left here are a couple of low-level types. So, if we needed another clue that something's going on ..." He shrugs. "Unfortunately it brings us no nearer to knowing exactly *what* is going on."
    Pham looks deeply troubled. "Perhaps they have done better than I at interpreting the visions that seem to have plagued all of the god's followers, when we first took ship together."

    Day 3 - Everybody! - In progress
    Emmett moves with speed through the streets that have once again been vacated in the midday heat, with Tama tagging along as best she can. There's one point where he stops at a crossroads and does a mental coin flip before turning and heading for the docks, "Val's more likely to be at the _Distraction_, and we can use his introduction at Three Trees in any case."
    The half man stumps up the dock, generating echoes throughout the ship that easily alert the crew on board to his approach - his gait is unmistakable, after all. He finds them on the bridge, earnestly going over charts of the Flow, with people making notes based on their recent information gathering as to the Hextorians' locations and Barrend scribbling furiously to correct perceived errors on the Three Three charts.
    "Val, Lynden, everyone, there's a war coming!"
    Unwilling to dampen his friend's enthusiasm, Lynden resists the temptation and doesn't say 'I told you so' but instead responds gravely, "So Gond has spoken, too? I am not surprised, as Gerik's words leave no room for doubt. But who's this?" nodding politely towards Emmett's companion.
    Ibn Hassan looks at Emmett and his companion, seems about to say something, then stops and eyes the Half-Man curiously.
    Emmett stops dead at the look and tone of Lynden's comment. "OK, you were right, I was wrong, I was thinking with my dick. Happy? Now that we have that out of the way, Van everything I mentioned the other night about finding out whose problem this is? Well it's my problem."
    The half man glances back over his shoulder, remembering Tama is there. "This is Tama, she's a priest of Gond, and she wanted to take a look at the wolf-machine that we pulled out from the cannon emplacement. She also helped Gond open my eye. Tama, this is Captain Val, Lynden and Ibn Fa..Ibn Hassan."
    She nods polite greeting.
    He looks back at Lynden "Gond confirmed it all right - there's a war coming, the Hextorians lead to Gond's 'Lost Children' and this is what I was made for. So for better or worse you're stuck with me."
    Ibn Hassan feels a need to sit down, and does so. He'd carefully nourished that trace of doubt about his suspicions, but it's still unsettling to have that doubt removed so completely. And having more than one god involved in it makes him definitely nervous. "Lost children?" he says absently. "Does that mean back to Rigol? Or some --" He stops. "The first people to disappear back on Bral were children. But," he adds with a glance at Valarin, "at this point I'd hesitate to go there without an army." Though how the Hextorians might have managed to hoodwink the Elven Navy intro ignoring whatever's happening there" -- he yanks his thoughts firmly back to the matter in hand.
    "So," he says, "how about Lynden and Emmett have a chat with the remaining Hextorians this evening, while I slip in the back and see if any of them were silly enough to leave written notes about where they were going?" He looks around the group, his gaze finally coming to rest on Valarin.
    Tama coughs. "Perhaps if someone could show me this artifact, I will see what I can learn from it while you gentlebeings converse?"
    [additions?]

    Day 3 - ibn Hassan & contact - new
    Paying a quick call on ibn Hatim, he finds the man somewhat surprised to see him again so soon, but willing to chat.
    On the topic of war, he is disappointed by the lack of specifics, but philosophical about the prospect.
    As far as the Navy's apparent inactivity, he shrugs. "We just don't have much information. We've heard there are ships in the area, so they're not ignoring the matter. But it's a deuced long way to Bral; for all I know they may have moved in there already and handled whatever the problem is. Hells, maybe some armada captain went off his nut and decided to take over the sphere, and they're still trying to figure out how to take down one of their own ships. They're not saying any more than they usually do."
    [?]

    Day 3 - at the Hextorian temple - new
    [what time of day do you guys intend to do this?]
    The temple is a high-walled, forbidding enclosure, black stone blocks dulled by the dust of the streets, although it is clear that few people venture down this particular side way. The front gate is a massive arch carved with skulls and scenes of strife. Next to the door hangs an iron bell, presumably for the use of visitors.
    Around the back is another, far smaller and less decorated gate letting into an alleyway. Ibn Hassan determines, after some careful observation, that this entrance is not actually used for anything. This provides the impetus for a more thorough examination of the entire area, which reveals a second, secret door around the corner, in the side of the enclosure.
    
    

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