Before dusk, the longship reaches Aokawa. Niko enters a warm riverside tavern with the reliquary beneath its steady golden veil, Mavra close behind and Inky settled on his shoulder.
A broad-shouldered elderly man with silver hair, a weathered-faced man in a russet apron over a cream tunic, with a crooked nose serves steaming cups behind the counter. At separate tables sit three striking adult women: a red-haired elf woman in green, a slender adult with a heart-shaped face and pointed ears, a dark-skinned human woman in blue silk, a poised adult with a round face, braided black hair, and a gold sash, and a horned tiefling woman in crimson, a tall adult with dusky violet skin, a narrow face, and a long black braid.
Mavra
Stay near the door if you must, but keep the vessel beneath your cloak. Its warmth has not gone unnoticed.
The Tavernkeeper
Sake for the traveler, and a sweet rice drink for his little companion. Welcome to Aokawa, friend.
The tavernkeeper sets the sake before Niko. Inky curls comfortably against his shoulder, while the reliquary grows faintly warm beneath the golden veil.
The Red-Haired Elf Woman
I am Elira. You look like a man who has crossed strange waters. Sit with me, and tell me what you found.
The Woman in Blue Silk
Nadia, if introductions matter. I offer better conversation than a crowded table, and perhaps a quieter room upstairs. Vespera rises with a knowing smile from another table.
✓ Quest Accepted
Discover why the women are interested in the reliquary
✓ Quest Accepted
Talk to the blue silk woman
“Can the women sense the reliquary beneath my cloak?”
YES, BUT (Likely, rolled 55)
The reliquary warms beneath Niko's cloak. Its golden veil pulses once, and three separate gazes settle upon the hidden vessel: Elira's, Nadia's, and the horned woman's.
The Red-Haired Elf Woman
That warmth is not tavern magic. You brought something sacred, dangerous, or both into Aokawa.
Elira does not reach for him, but Nadia's smile fades into careful appraisal. Across the room, the horned woman rises fully, her chair scraping softly against the floor.
The Woman in Blue Silk
I can feel a ward beneath your cloak. It is strong enough to notice us noticing it.
The Horned Woman
And now it has noticed the room. Keep it covered, traveler, unless you want every curious soul in Aokawa gathering here.
The warning arrives too late. A thin golden seam shines through the cloak's folds, plainly visible in the tavern's warm light. Mavra's hand closes around her staff, while Inky lifts his ears.
Mavra
So the vessel has announced itself. We should leave before its welcome draws more than conversation.
““But… but the ladies Marva” i say looking at Nadia calmly as I pet inky…”
FAILURE (Fair Willpower, rolled -2)
Niko Haru Kageyama
But... but the ladies, Mavra.
Niko looks calmly toward Nadia while his fingers stroke Inky's charcoal fur. The gesture is gentle, but his unfinished words leave the reliquary's golden seam exposed.
Mavra
The ladies are precisely why we must go. You have not persuaded them to leave us undisturbed.
The Woman in Blue Silk
Must you? I thought your hesitation meant you wished us included.
Nadia steps closer, and the ward answers her with a bright pulse. Elira turns her chair toward them; the horned woman watches the glowing seam without blinking.
Mavra
There. Now the vessel has chosen the conversation for us. Cloak it properly, or we surrender the choice of where this ends.
Quest Complete
Talk to the blue silk woman