From Regalia, two parties left to seek out the truth in rumors about ancient Varran ruins and technology. The first of these groups travelled with a heavy presence, eight corsair-style vessel from House Frisque’s naval forces, and proceeded into the waters of Solacia. Aboard the main ship, Mehi Frisque, Panya-kha, Akh’dul, Mekhit, and Masika Nefertiti all worked to help them reach their goal. Unfortunately, it was a rather expansive one and something they couldn’t hope to actually accomplish. With their corsair-style vessels, all other ships stayed away. Since the Varran had broken off of the Regalian Empire during the Anglian Mist and only nominally returned to it since, their piracy and illegal activity were running rampant across the region. Additionally, the Frisque Pact didn’t even know where to start looking for these hired mercenaries or the ruins on an island, so they sailed around for about a day, somewhat aimlessly, before they finally got some help. While their presence might have scared off all the Ailor-controlled ships, the Varran ones were not. Midway through the second day, a fishing vessel controlled by two Warran Varran pulled up beside them, the tan-furred cats stepping up onto the lead ship’s deck. The two groups spoke quickly, and the Pact learned some very positive news. Captain Rzzrem was very much alive, and still hiding in El Puerto Azul, avoiding contact with the outside world for fear of the mercenaries. However, upon hearing of the arrival of such a prominent force of Varran, he wished to meet with the group to spill what he knows. Perhaps too good to be true? But the Pact, languishing without many leads, chose to follow the message, bidding the fishercats good luck on the rest of their travels. The Pact then proceeded to the Azure Port, two of their vessels docking much to the nervousness of some locals while the rest anchored themselves in the nearby waters. The entire group then disembarked and after assuring the port authorities that they were NOT here to smuggle or deal in illicit cargo, proceeded into the tropical seaside city. Midday had produced a calm spring afternoon, blowing warm breezes in from the sea, and faintly rustling the tropical trees that lined the major boulevards. The Tolonne locals looked up as the cluster of Varran passed their restaurants, shops and homes before returning their eyes to their work. Some children followed after them at a distance, mainly out of curiosity, but a fierce look from Akh'dul sent them scampering off. The directions they were following were into a non-Human area of the city, far from the port, the fishercats telling them that Captain Rzzrem had chosen the location on purpose so as to not be obvious in his location. In this place, they saw more of their own kind, but also Yanar, Qadir, the odd Altalar and others. At last, they reached the described hideaway, a small hole in the wall bar about a mile away from the main port. They all went in while Masika opted to stay outside as a surprise bit of backup thanks to her magician skills. Once inside, the small hole in the wall opened up, clearly far larger as it seemed to be a combination of at least two buildings. Their presence was not ignored and they soon found themselves hustled into a back corner of the second level where the sleek black-furred Warran Captain Rzzrem sat along with two other Warran and two Yarran, while an Ovirran leaned against a nearby pillar. The two parties immediately got down to talking, the Warran Captain quickly making his attraction to Mekhit obvious, with tail gestures and tonal shifts in his growling of Zcorr. Both were of a dark fur coloration and seemed quite regal, and so it ultimately was mainly them talking. They spoke of commanding vessels, and sailing and their faith, which helped to bring the subject back to why the Pact was there. They explained themselves, and their ties to House Frisque, Rzzrem snorting at the mention of that House. When asked to explain himself, he mentioned how he didn’t like any Varran who so utterly devoted themselves to the Regalian Empire that they would own non-Daen land and not call themselves captains anymore. However, he admitted such people were what the Varran needed, especially in this instance...adding he also didn't much mind if it got him to meet with such a lovely creature as Mekhit. Unfortunate, his continued flirting and their conversation was cut short by a crossbow bolt imbedding itself in the wall next to the Captain’s head. It’s source was an Ailor, standing across the way of the second level and who immediately started loading up a second shot. At the same time, tromping toward them came several men and women, dressed much the same and all possessing the same sigil: three white lines being speared through by a black sword. What followed was an aggressive and brutal tavern melee between the Varran and a cluster of Ailor, Nelfin and one Dwarf all clearly from the same mercenary group. They had been lying in wait for someone to come and help the captain, seeking to finish off everyone interested in the ruins in one fell swoop. Unfortunately, they were having a tough time of it. The fight went well for the Varrans (three mercenaries down), though the mercenaries did take their toll. One of the Captain’s Warran companions was shot on the arm by the crossbow wielder while Akh’dul found his arm smacked hard by the Dwarf before he sent the small fighter crashing through a nearby table. In the middle of the fight, Captain Rzzrem muttered to Mekhit in very broken Zcorr (as his tail was not able to be seen with how close he got to her ear) “We meet later, Isle pan, like pan…” before he was off, being hustled away by his crew. The crossbowman, seeing this group trooping down the stairs and right to the door, leaped down behind them. Akh’dul, seeing this, threw a chair at him. Unfortunately, it was with his bruised arm and so it harmlessly cracked apart on the wall next to the long-ranged fighter before he rushed out of sight. The Pact, now alone in the fight, retreated out the entrance in short order themselves. Meanwhile, outside, Masika had been about to head in there when the group of Varran burst out and started running left down the street. The crossbowman was following suit and totally ignored her, prompting her to begin a Spell. By the time she triggered Elemental Shot after chanting the Pathay incantation, they were nearly out of sight...just then, all of her companions came tromping out right into her line of fire. Thanks goodness it wasn’t a harmful one, merely a static shock. Panya-kha found all of her hair promptly standing on end and being unable to move as a hard tingle swept over her entire body, her eyes crossing for a moment as everyone around her just looked in surprise. Finally, the shock stopped and the yellow-white puffball that was Pany-kha stumbled around a bit before shaking herself out of it. The group was soon after the corsairs as well but within a few minutes, they determined that they had lost the group and their persuers to the urban sprawl. The team rushed back to the main docks, but when they got there they only found the crews of their two ships rushing around desperate to put out a fire on the second vessel which was accomplished within a mere minute of their arrival. Apparently, a torch had suddenly been thrown aboard the second corsair ship which had ignited quickly on some rope, causing a small blaze and plenty of smoke. Who threw it was relatively unknown, though some claimed it was a Human with dark skin in dark clothing. Ultimately, the group cast off, Mekhit with the clue whispered in her fuzzy ear but whether she told the others of what he said, it was her call. Meanwhile, hundreds of miles away in Nordskag, Del-Ra Olsus and Yuri Nordri were having their own troubles. Arriving without a guide in western Nordskag, the small team of two was soon forced to part ways with one piece of fur from their care package, in addition to some Regals, that they paid to a young Velheim Ailor man who agreed to help them. His name was Karl, and from his small fishing town he took them up the coast in his family’s second boat to the larger fishing center of Ålsund, where he believed they might be able to find more information on Trenne (though he himself had not heard of the man). While there, Del-Ra felt the eyes on her and while she initially felt very weirded out (after all, a bit odd for so many Ailor men to like a Varran like her), what they were ACTUALLY looking at soon had her a nervous mess, even for her. It finally came out when they were speaking to a trader, the man asking her how much she’d like to get for him taking just a section of her fur off. Their roaming eyes became pretty obvious to her now: they were after her pelt, her soft fine Sarran pelt. That was certainly a disturbing thought and one that stuck with her for the rest of the day in Ålsund, resulting in Yuri and Karl doing most of the talking from that encounter onward. They learned that Trenne had indeed passed through the town on his way to Mount Håstdal, only a day ago in fact, and the two Varran learned that it was at least a day-long journey to reach the commune halfway up the mountain if one started from Ålsund. They also learned that the Dwarves rarely took Regals or other forms of direct payment, but asked for favors and acts to aid their small community. With this information in tow, and lacking the equipment to push on, the two Varran and their guide headed back toward their small boat to call it all a trip. Just then, a trio of men descended on them, each brandishing a large fishing-knife and demanding for “all the fur”, which meant both the care package AND the Varran themselves. What followed showed the men why they shouldn’t mess with Yarran Varran as a short minute later, one man’s face was very bloody from a headbut as he lay on the ground unconcious, another was running away in sheer agony likely with a broken hand while the third was stumbling away, his hands holding his face hard as the scratch marks oozed blood profusely. With this display of physical power over, the slightly grinning young man led them both back aboard his ship, sailing away. In short, the Varran had progressed their respective leads and now had new information. If more returned to Nordskag, perhaps they could push up the mountain to the Dwarves and do what the stout people asked of them. As for the ruins, Mekhit was now faced with the choice of telling the others what had been whispered to her in the hopes that it would lead to some new discovery, or keep the entire conversation secret. Whether or not they’d be reduced to a long, arduous search of every island in the tropical archipelago, only time would tell.
