>>5678523>Art: Anonymous ( During 18th Dynasty of Kemet)>Alt Text: A painted limestone stele of a Syrian mercenary drinking wine or beer through a long lead straw next to his wife. A smaller person holds the straw. “Hey 6, are there any farmers here? I wanna talk with them.”
6 Knife: Ñamma jakexōsa tō jatāena nīkan māxtōn.
Several of the bar guests look nervously around, but everyone stays seated.
“I got this. NEXT ROUND’S ON ME!”
6 Knife:Semirne anhēŋŋi lā!
Cheers erupt through the bar as guests swarm you.
A storm of words you assume are thanks wash over you until something familiar catches your ear.
Ōra: Thanks unto you.
“Hold it, I recognized those words. Who are you?
Ōra: Ōrekīra. With shortness: Ōra, the eight kin of...
“I don’t need the backstory, why do I understand you?”
Ōra: The word of the Loas from the North. The word of freedom from Lani the High Priest. The sacred language on my tongue and through my lips.
“Lani’s been doing more than building dreamhouses I see. How many more of her little fans are there?
Ōra: In this village? One. Myself. In others across The Plains? Unknown.
“And what exactly were you told?”
Ōra: Guildless Peace from the North. From the Way of the Loas.
“Not much of a loyal customer, are you.”
Ōra: Poor people with rich fields. Non-grain farmers with many farmed grains. Unjust wealth, starving food makers.
“Remind me to introduce you to a gal named Kaori next time you’re halfway across the ocean. She’d really dig your whole “power to the people” vibe.
Ōra: Your words. Known to me, yet..unknown?
“You might be speaking my language, but you’re not “speaking my language” if you know what I mean.
A blank stare. So much for cultural connection.
“I’ll cut to the chase, where and when do these Guild guys come?
Ōra: The Fountain Guild from the Northeast, in two days. The Garden Guild from the Northwest, in one day.
You grab a vase of the grainy sludge that passes for alcohol around here and slam it in front of the farmer.
“Thanks, Oh-ra. Enjoy the booze.”
The Fountain Guild is the richest here, if they have any muscle with them it’s probably going to be the toughest.
Good to know in case things get messy.
The Garden Guild will probably be similar if a bit scaled back. Less weapons, less authority, less stuff. Probably still dicks.
You could also lay low here, take in some local color and wait for the tax collectors to come to you.
Of course, meeting them in the village means anything you do or say with them would be public.
Finally, there is the eternal option: Fucking off.
> Meet the Fountain Guild tax collectors on the road >Meet the Garden Guild tax collectors on the road>Stay in the village until the tax collectors arrive>Go to another region (write which) 