Delrin looked at the rest of them then turned to follow her. "Catch us at the Bouncing Mongoose" called out Tristan. Delrin nodded without looking back and headed off.

"Alright," continued Tristan, "So what is the plan, anyway?"

[ed. note... there was some inter-player Email on what goals to pursue at this point that was extensive, and was not included for brevity. The goal selected here was Tanaka and Fuji's desire to find out more about the duel in which their father died, the first step of which was to find the two older brothers]

Glorm spoke up. "Me have enough of this talk talk. Let us go to the city states to help Tanaka. At least the trip is simple. Kill anyone in our way and find out what happened to Tanaka's brothers." After a moments thought he added. "As well we stock up on more Kethem pipe weed and brandy, they will fetch a good price in Pranan. Yes a good price indeed."

"Pranan sounds fine to me," pitched in Aron, "but do we want to get involved in a Kanday issue? I mean, we are in kind of a shitty state with those guys, them arming on the border and everything."

"This resolved by wearing mark of mark of Tanaka Sa Kajok on your buttocks" said Tanaka.

"Oh, that makes me feel better" replied Aron, "if only I had any idea what the hell that means... and where the hell did you say I had to wear it???"

Fuji spoke up quickly. "You know nothing of your history, you warts!?"

"Haji maseyo, Fuji, ee saramduri an arihyo," stated Tanaka calmly. He turned to the group and continued picking an extraordinary booger from his left nostril, "excuse my brother, he forgets you Kethemers do not know honor yet, we will help you learn. The Sa Mahul is forming again. That is why war may return. Do you know of the war some hundred years ago when Heritime Nim began Sa Mahul?"

"Heritime? King of Kanday during the fourth orc-human war?" asked El Sid, frowning. "Of course I know about him... but what is a Sa Mahul?"

The rest of the party mumbled discordantly, clearly clueless, which didn't surprise the Kandayans at all considering the amount of discussion the Kethemers engaged in for the simplest of decisions. Glorm lit up a pipe and Tanaka began.

"Kanday was recognized by Kethem about 10303 when Stangri warriors begin claiming new honor. Kethem called it invasion. It is not invasion, it is honorable acquisition by small Sa Kajokduri. For Stangri, for thousands of years there were only two honorable binds, one to family, one to Sa Kajok. Every Sa Kajok has maybe 5 maybe 40 warriors. Between Sa Kajok there is no, what you say, or-gan-i-sa-shun. Even so, the only reason the honorable warriors did not take all of Kethem from silly sawnomduri, oh sorry don't mean to offend you, I'm not calling you Sawnom, it's just a phrase."

Fuji, standing just behind his brother, began laughing heartily, "Ee saramduri Sawnom, aniyeyo?"

Tanaka, rolling his eyes in a "you can dress him up , but you can't take him out" fashion, flexed quickly at the knee driving his heel firmly into Fuji's groin and continued his story effortlessly. (Fuji continued his juvenile chuckling from the ground.) "We did not take all Kethem because you remember the Fourth Orc-Human war began in 10342 when not honorable orcs invaded against all humankind. Then all the Sa Kajok fought with Kethemers to defeat Orcs. During war with the Orcs Kanday warriors learned much about or-gan-i-sa-shun from Kethemers. Heritime Nim, King, returned to Kanday with an idea for Sa Mahul, New World. Sa Mahul was a union between Sa Kajokduri. It is marked by a green circle around the Sa Kajok marks of clans. Heritime Nim began a national movement with Sa Mahul, but always not honorable warriors wanted to use Sa Mahul for not honorable chunchang, you call man-i-fes des-tin-ee. Heritime Nim resisted for a long time then died in battle of Fasher Ka in 10385. With his death, Sa Mahul fell apart and for sa shim niun, 40 years, Sa Kajokduri warred on each other. Then word of Sa Mahul was heard again in Kanday, secret unions. And you know then that Stangri raids began again into Kethem but more or-gan-i-zed, I hate that word. Now, in Kanday we hear of Kethem guard becoming stronger on borders. Maybe Sa Mahul is preparing again for chunchang."

"Then this foolish mark would be treasonous," exclaimed Don.

"Keep chastity belt on, you boob," fired Fuji, still clutching his groin.

"No," responded Tanaka, "it is not treason. First, Sa Kajok is a Kandayan rite not known in your country. No one will understand the marks. You are perhaps the first outsiders ever invited into the clan. Usually it would take years of side by side struggle to unify warriors enough to suggest they form a new family, but there was so much love in the air that first night in the bar we made exception. We could just sense we would be traveling with you. Secondly, as it was during the first Strangri raids, Kethemers with any knowledge of the conflict will know that Kandayans do not act in unison between clans. Bands of Sa Kajok may well be flooding southward into Kethem, but many Sa Kajok will remain detached from the struggle. Binding to these clans is not treasonous to your country, in fact, although none were ever invited into the rite during the first Stangri raids Kethemers invited ties to these clans because Kandayans will not lie. They used the neutral clans to garnish information on movement of other Sa Kajok. So, your Borgias, may well welcome the tie. From the other direction, no Kandayan whether bound to Sa Mahul or not will ever routinely kill someone carrying a Sa Kajok mark. Death for any clan member must be honorable and while unceremonious slaughter of inferior beings like Dwarves, Elves, and Kethemers, is perfectly acceptable, any creature identifying himself as Erum (named) Sa Kajok would have to be engaged honorably. You must trust us, there is no trap here, there is no risk to you, how is it you would travel with us if you do not trust us?"

Tanaka yawned. All this talk, did Kethemers know nothing? Perhaps he had over-rated their reasoning skills. "Anyway, enough for now. I will tell you one day why you should travel to Kanday to gain much honor. Now I am tired and my brother is in need of aspirin. So you must choose. We have bestowed upon you a gift never bequeathed to Sawnom, I mean Kethemers, (Fuji began laughing again) an invitation to Sa Kajok. Do you take the marks or not!? Choose."

Glorm listened intently to the warriors tale, occasionally drawing deeply from his favorite dragon pipe. As the tale entered into a description of the orc wars, he puffed more frequently, and the billowing smoke seemed to take on the forms of bloody humans and Urakai. Clearly, the mention of the dreaded creatures disturbed the normally taciturn dwarf. Still the dwarf kept quite and said nothing as the tale ended. He looked up at Tanaka and stared intently at him for a moment. After a short pause he spoke. "Tanaka, I believe I understand you now. If these Kethemers will not join you, at least this dwarf will, but I believe I must disagree on our Sa Kajok symbol." So saying the dwarf drew deeply on his pipe, blew a new cloud of smoke. The form of a smoking pipe crossing a sword formed. The sturdy dwarf then dropped his drawers, exposed his buttocks and said "when do we start!"

Fuji burst into laughter, "pull your pants up you fat bastard, perhaps my brother and I should have traveled to your country. It seems you are the only party member with a set, and proudly displayed I might add."

Tanaka, also chuckling, continued his brother's salute to the dwarf. "There is no need to brand your ass, my honorable friend, Fuji and I threw that in for laughs...to put Sa Kajok mark on your hand or face only is necessary. We agree, the sword and pipe is a fitting salute to our party, it will honor those of us who are unafraid to act." Tanaka's jovial mood ended abruptly as he swung to address Sid (and farted loudly), his expression became cold and savage, "why do you still question this honor, Sawnom! Of course we carry no Sa Kajok mark yet... have you not heard a word, do you sleep with your eyes open!? We are Erum warriors to our father's Sa Kajok until the we choose to announce our Sa Kajok. We have chosen this group, although now I can't remember why, to be our brothers. When, IF, we take the mark it is a lifelong commitment to you. This is not like sleeping with a Kethem tramp! There is only one Sa Kajok in your life. To belong to two Sa Kajok is to be dead or scum! Fuji and I will gladly mark first..."

Fuji immediately chimed in, "but, Brother, I fear the Kethemers will faint like the female when they witness the needle touch our skin!"

"Tis true, Fuji, these are not men...yet. It is done. I have decided. Glorm, you honor us and for that the pipe will lie forward of the sword, I will begin. We will mark at the end of this week. Glorm, you shall be safe from all things so long as Fuji and I have life, as will those who carry the mark of our Sa Kajok. Is fitting that the honorable dwarf also Erum our family. You must think of name. You Kethem dogs must decide. Fuji and I will be glad to provide knitting needles and yarn for you so you can accomplish something useful when you sit sit around chattering and barking like old women wondering if it will hurt, is it right for my sensitive skin, will my momma approve, sheebahla!"

With that Tanaka sat down and pulled from a travel kit a small chunk of metal and some fine metalworking tools. He began carving detail into the face of the metal block.

Fuji sneered at the Kethemers, "how do you get dressed in the morning, you porkers, with all the decisions, do I button my vest or zip up my fly first!? Do what you must, but know this, you will not enter Kanday without the mark of Sa Kajok, not traveling with Kanday Warriors anyway."

Aron reached out and grabbed the sneering man with one hand around the throat, then lifted him bodily off the ground. Fuji immediately went for his dagger, but Aron grabbed his arm with his other free hand. Fuji strained, but he might as well have his hand buried in solid rock. "How about I tattoo this mark on your back by way of your stomach?" growled the big man, teeth gritted.

"Ahhh... gentlemen, this is getting a little out of hand in a slightly public place" said Tristan. "If you would be so kind as to hold your personal issues until we are alone, it would be appreciated."

Aron looked at Fuji, hesitated a moment, then put the man down slowly and let go. Fuji rubbed his throat absently. "You one strong Saw... one strong guy" he finished. "OK, we go to this inn. You think about what said here."

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