[Abe Sargent]

‘You’ll find the tower on the other side of the city, my friend. It stands beside the North Gate.’

Pau Ping bids you a kind farewell when you leave his shop. You return to the plaza and consider which street to take from here.

(I try South)

This broad avenue is well-lit by street lanterns that creak softly in the wind. A hundred yards along the thoroughfare you see two shops that stand directly opposite each other and are still open for business.

(Weapon shop)

Xiong is a weaponsmith who manufactures and sells a variety of hand weapons. He greets you warmly and invites you to browse his weapon racks at your leisure. Each of the weapons has a price tag. Those of most interest are:

Axe: 80 Ren (8 Gold Crowns)
Bow: 200 Ren (20 Gold Crowns)
Arrows: 10 Ren each (1 Gold Crown each)
Dagger: 50 Ren (5 Gold Crowns)
Sword: 100 Ren (10 Gold Crowns)
Mace: 100 Ren (10 Gold Crowns)

You may buy any of the items listed above for the price indicated. With the exception of the Bow (which you carry slung over your shoulder) and the Arrows (which are kept in your Quiver), they are all Weapons that you carry sheathed on your belt. You are under no obligation to make a purchase at this establishment.

Xiong gives a respectful bow and he bids you good night when you leave the shop.

(No thanks! Hardware shop?

This hardware shop is owned by Hopdai and his wife Meng-an. They greet you with a smile and invite you to peruse their wares. The black lacquered shelves are stacked high with myriad items and all of them have a price tag. Those that catch your eye are:

Mortar & Pestle: 20 Ren (2 Gold Crowns)
Lantern: 20 Ren (2 Gold Crowns)
Chisel: 20 Ren (2 Gold Crowns)
Hammer: 30 Ren (3 Gold Crowns)
Rope (50 ft. length): 30 Ren (3 Gold Crowns)
Potion of Laumspur: 40 Ren (4 Gold Crowns) Restores 4 ENDURANCE when swallowed after combat.
Small Telescope: 60 Ren (6 Gold Crowns)

You may buy any of the items listed above for the price indicated. They are all Backpack Items that will take up one space in your backpack. You are under no obligation to make a purchase.

Hopdai will buy any items you have noted on your Backpack List (with the exception of Anseng’s Kirusami). He will pay 10 Ren for each item, regardless of how much it originally cost. If you wish to sell any of your items, erase them from your list and add 1 Gold Crown (10 Ren) per item to your Belt Pouch.

Hopdai and Meng-an bid you a pleasant good night when you leave the shop.

(I spend two crowns to finish my backpack with a Chai Morter and Pestle and Chai Chisel)

You walk along the paved street, passing closed cook shops and small emporiums that sell clothing, furniture, and fruit, until you arrive at Dwala’s main square. At its centre is a tiered pyramid of veined marble topped by a magnificent sculpture of a dragon roaring at the sky. This is the famous Dwala Dragon, erected at a time when the free citizens of Dwala willingly chose to join the Chai Empire many centuries ago. It is a homage to Nyxator, the wise and goodly dragon who, in 12209 MS, created the Lorestones to preserve the powers and knowledge bestowed upon him by God Kai. These ancient gems contained the secrets and the power of the Magnakai Disciplines that you have mastered. Encircling the base of the pyramid are dozens of market trader stalls wrapped in oilskin tarpaulins and wound round tightly with rope. In more clement times the square is a vibrant open market where thousands of goods are bought, bartered and sold every day. Now it is closed, and it looks like it will remain so for several days to come.

Through the teeming rain, you see two thoroughfares that lead away from the main square. One goes north and is called Izara Street. The other heads west and is named Xo Street. A signpost at the start of Xo Street points due west and reads: To the Quay.

(Izara)

You follow the street and soon arrive at the city’s North Gate. It is here you find what you have been seeking: the Tower of Ishir. This grand and beautifully fluted tower stands next to the barbican of the north gate. It is embellished with icons and engravings and topped by a parapet with a large half-moon fashioned from silver-plated bronze set above it. This is the symbol of Goddess Ishir. It lifts your spirits and resolutely you stride across the rain-swept flagstones towards the tower’s arched portal.