[Post here first!] Tamatoshi Bay

Wuppo and Rena Kesarus had boarded a smaller cargo vessel bound for the Tamatoshi Bay. As it turned out, in the time Wuppo had been absent from Tawakoshi, the little village had boomed into a bustling town with a proper port, and a thriving economy. The rather odd pair sailed for the port on a cargo vessel because it was the first vessel that agreed to take them - no skipper in their right mind would allow an ogre and a centaur in with other paying customers.

As the port came into sight, Wuppo got to his feet and looked off the bow of the ship.

"Das it!" he said and pointed, of course talking to Rena even if she wasn't listening. "Das Taka-koshi!"

The ogre's pronunciation of 'Tawakoshi' had been corrected more than once by a sailor or two, but they quickly learned it was a loosing proposition with the ogre.

"Das me home! Dem mountains!" he continued pointing. Far in the distance to the north, one could make out the shape of some mountains.

"Dis many humans not 'ere before I left, but dis it. Dis Taka-koshi."

"Otta." he nodded in confirmation to the first part of Rena's question as he kept his eyes forward, looking at the approaching town.

"When I'z left Taka-koshi, I'z said I'z gonna find a place where I aint gotta fight dem humans. I'z gonna find a betta place for Wuppo! I'z done nuffin but fight dem humans since I sat and watch this place get so tiny I couldn' see it no more. Maybe now it bett-a for Wuppo. Maybe Wuppo gone long enough they'z forget about Wuppo. Them'z dat aint Otta."

It would seem Wuppo had left his homeland like many others had before, to search for something else. For something better. But, like so many people that left their homes with hope and optimism, had the same problems abroad that they had at home. Wuppo now returned hoping things were different between him and the humans, but - whether he knew it or not - the odds of that were extremely slim.

"You like Taka-koshi horselady." he said, now looking to Rena. "Them'z got such nice fings. Them'z got pretty flowers, and them'z put dem pretty flowers on them'z teapots, an' dem has da tea. When we'z get yer nice horselady fings from me bag, Wuppo finds him-own teapot, and I'z have da tea. Otta! He comes to Wuppo's mountain, and he has da tea wiff Wuppo. You'z come too horselady! You'z come an' has da tea too!"

It seems dreams of dainty tea service already danced in the ogre's head, even before they'd found his friend or gotten the centaur's item out of his bag.

The Isra vessel that arrived were eventually be seen, though with a majority of the boats being used by villagers for fishing, it became clear to the visitors that there was no real established protocol for greeting outsiders. Instead, the ship was mostly stared at, alien as it was to them. The majority of them seemed to be workers and peasants, loosely clothed and working in groups or families. One of the vessels, appearing to be more of a trading ship in that it had sails and cargo, had sailors who had been dressed in more exquisite robes. As they got closer to the shore, they'd see a great deal more variety in the types of people that were seen. The visitors' eyes were greeted by an eclectic populace - men wearing swords and tied hair, people in very colorful and layered robes, women with faces painted white like porcelain dolls, workers who wore only a loincloth... there seemed to be some vibe of unease or fear as the Isran ship grew nearer, and from such isolation from the western world at large, and only fledgling administrative services, the visitors may have to come ashore to make real contact with the natives in the Tamatoshi Bay area.

"My name is Rena." she said again getting annoyed with the ogre that was her traveling companion for the time being. From time to time her eyes would drift towards the bag, just hoping her journey would be worth it in the end.

They would pass through Tamatoshi Bay together on foot and hoof. All the while getting stared at, it made Rena feel very uneasy and concious about herself. She would try to remind herself this was probably the first time they had ever seen a centaur, that she would have been scared too if she saw herself for the first time. It helped little in the end and she would be glad when they finally passed.

"How far is Otta's house? Ya think we could make it within tha day?" she asked once they had finally gotten away from the port village.

Josef Zemp and accompanying guard assist with tying the small skiff off at the dock before disembarking. Nearby, the ongoing construction around the ship yard is in full swing. Zemp nods at a passing worker and walks along the small jetty, footfalls thumping satisfactorily. In a perfect world, the smell of salt water and the warm breeze of the ocean would roll through the air. Fish guts, sweat, and sea flotsam

The immediate goal was to find a contact of the governmental sort. The chattering throngs of people nearer to the coast had seen the larger frigate coming into the harbor and lined the shoreline. The disembarkation of only three strangers in a small skiff seemed to have disappointed them a bit. The standing orders were for the frigate to remain at anchor out in the harbor. Among the small satchel of belongings Zemp had taken with him from the ship was a messenger dove that he would use to relay missives to the Isran crew as needed. The usual protocol would be for a spell caster to accompany an away expedition and use scrying. Several reasons prohibited this practice, not the least of which was Zemp's allergy to most magical energies.

Unlike the highly formal meetings between larger powers, Isran Diplomatic Service protocols employed minuscule use of personnel when dealing with an underdeveloped nation. For today, that meant one agent, Senior Foreign Service Officer Josef Zemp, and one attaché, Second Apocrisiarius Iulia Iotapa.

Zemp was hopeful that someone of import would see and approach the obviously out of place Isran. If that failed, it would hopefully be a simple matter to find a tavern or drinking establishment. In his younger days, it would have been simple to stroll into such a place and charm his way into a free room. Nowadays, the beard and wrinkles tended to get in the way. The elderly and senile man act could help up to a point, but the splendid trousers and shirts of the Isran diplomatic service would scarcely match the masquerade. Instead, Zemp would play to his surroundings, acting the chameleon to the veritable rainbow of this new land around him.

The worst part of this entire operation, Zemp had decided back on the ship, was the pittance of intelligence available to Isra. The Empire knew precious little of Tawakoshi. The small scraps held painted a picture of a potential commercial hub filled with a hearty coastal dwelling and militaristic people.

A group of children ran past the two Israns, whooping and tittering in their native tongue.
The guard accompanying Zemp grimaces slightly as she watches the group weave their way through the crowded dockside. This may be an entirely different world from that of Isra, but the basic fundamentals of blind man's bluff were easily recognizable.

"A damned shame we didn't bring a translator with us, eh, sir? Languages were never my strong suit. I can barely speak our own tongue as it is."

Zemp looks sideways at his companion and chuffs in amusement, "Remind me to tell you of the time I stumbled into a barbarian village with nothing but the clothes on my back and a walking stave in my hand. I left that tribe on the verge of worshiping me as their god-king come to walk among them."

"And this is relevant how, sir?"

"Not only is it a good story, but it leads directly to our first moves here. The first protocol of the Foreign Service, as you'll recall: Our rules and regulations ensure we are on equal footing with our contacts. We are two strangers in a strange land. The footing between us and our gracious hosts is surely unequal. It is unsure how this first official overture of Isra to Tawakoshi will be met. To help make it both peaceable and lucrative to both parties is our goal."

"I still fail to make this jump that gets you from your original story to the point, sir," Iotapa says as she shakes her head.

"You can have a pass on this test, my friend. These lessons will come faster than you like as we delve deeper into our tasks, I will warn you. Am I a god-king?"

"I do believe that is what you want me to think, sir."

"Both cheeky and correct, I see why we were put together for this mission. So many of these new diplomatic appointees are all dour and dull. I acted the role of god-kind among the barbarians because that was the most logical expectation of me. "

The two chat amicably as they finish their stroll along the pier. Finally, they reach the dry land of Tawakoshi and set foot on the tightly packed pathway. Iotapa motions for Zemp to stop by the side of the road. They observe the traffic to and from the docks and begin to hash out their next movements.

The junior officer notices the two men walking towards her first. Iotapa whistles and holds a fist near her belt, index and middle finger extended. Zemp nods, understanding the simplistic sign language of the diplomatic corps, and turns to face the approaching samurai. The two diplomatic agents welcome their new companions warmly, offering to display their papers before judging that silence was their best course of action. They walk back along the dock flanked by their escorts on either side, the group of them remaining quiet for the duration of the jaunt. Their no-nonsense attitudes cut a swath through the crowd. Within a few short moments, the two Israns are deposited back by their landing craft.

Zemp begins to speak up, intending to ask about the potential length of time, until the sound of approaching hooves interrupts his inquiry. The change in attitude throughout the hurried harbor is instantaneous. The plume of dust continues to billow out behind the Approaching forces as the coastal breeze buffets through the air.

“An unfortunate aspect of dirt roads, that,” Zemp notes with a smile, “And it lacks those wonderfully resonant hoof on cobblestone sounds. How many horses do you count, Iulia?”

“About twelve, sir. They sound lighter. Nothing too bulky.”

“Good eyes and ears, make sure you appreciate those in your youth. Seniority may come with a higher pay grade, but it gets harder and harder to hear those coins clinking in a pouch.” Zemp glances sideways at the samurai, judging their responses to his patently unfunny comment.

Iotapa continues to watch the approaching horsemen, suppressing a smile at the offhand remarks of her superior officer. “If you say so, sir. Should I signal the ship concerning the horsemen?”

Zemp pauses for a moment. “Surely. Send the all clear and let the captain know that we are sending the skiff back.”

A sailor, contentedly sleeping in his small craft, rouses himself as Zemp addresses him.

“Sailor, you are relieved. Please take our craft back to the Argo. We are sending a dove ahead of you. Thank you for your masterful rowing.”

Iotapa finishes penning her report and ties it to the leg of Zemp’s bird. The creature flaps up and away, wheeling around to return to the Argo. Out in the harbor, the large Isran frigate sits at a respectable distance away from the docks themselves, her full complement of anchors extended into the harbor. This mission was to be slow and deliberate, taking however long would be necessary to establish full diplomatic contact.

Both of the Israns nod their heads towards Junichiro and his company of soldiers. Zemp steps forward, both palms turned upwards in a gesture of peace and welcome. There are no weapons visible on his person. He smiles and begins to speak.

“My name is Josef Zemp, of the Isran Foreign Service. My associate here is Second Apocrisiarius Iulia Iotapa, also of our Foreign Service. We are here on an official diplomatic purpose. Our business is to formally establish relations between the Isran Empire and your land, for the express benefit of both our peoples.”

After briefly snapping open her leather attaché case and retrieving several items, Iotapa steps forward. She extends three separate parchments to Junichiro.

“Sir, you will find here a letter of introduction and credence from our Empress, Lady Naoki, sent with her regards.” She taps the top paper before flipping it behind the others. “These other two parchments are identification forms for both Mr Zemp and myself. You may keep all three, if you desire.”

The two pause to give adequate time for their contact to read each of the parchments in turn.

Lady Naoki’s letter reads as a standard diplomatic document, giving full faith and credit to her appointees in the form of Zemp and Iotapa. Its purpose is to serve as a legal transfer of negotiation powers from the Empress and her government to the agents of the Foreign Service.

Zemp’s identification letter is brief:

Dear Sir or Madame,

The holder of this letter is one Josef Abraham Zemp, Senior Foreign Service Officer of the Isran Foreign Service. His career is one without blemish, and the man is an exemplar of grace, dignity, wit, and the model citizen. By express grant of power from Lady Naoki, Empress of Isra, Josef Abraham Zemp is to serve as first ambassador and commissioner to the nation of Tawakoshi. He has been given full power to negotiate a formal diplomatic introduction between the Empire of Isra and Tawakoshi, as well as to establish a mutual declaration of friendship and cooperation.

Respectfully yours,
Secretary Pericles Callias of the Isran Foreign Service


And finally, Iotapa’s credentials:

Dear Sir or Madame,

The holder of this letter is one Iulia Aleksandrya Iotapa, Second Apocrisiarius of the Isran Foreign Service. She attends Senior Foreign Service Officer Josef Abraham Zemp as a diplomatic aide. Her official capacities extends to drafting, revising official documentations, etc. In addition, Mlle Iotapa holds an express grant of power from Lady Naoki, Empress of Isra, to serve as diplomat to the nation of Tawakoshi.

Respectfully yours,
Secretary Pericles Callias of the Isran Foreign Service

The two Israns graciously accept the offered steeds, launching into their respective saddles with a quick jump. It seems the residents of Tawakoshi value taller, yet lighter, horses. They ride fluidly, almost predicting the intended directions of their riders, with gracious hoof falls. A far cry from the brawny and muscle-bound horses of Isra, these are.

Neither Zemp nor his attaché spend much thought on the horses, instead taking in the social climate around them. The sudden arrival of the second company of horses, and the subsequent conversation between the two men, spoke volumes. The language may have been incomprehensible to the diplomats, but the tone and treatment of one man toward the other was enough.

Zemp looks about him as the small company ride forth. He addressed the rider who gave Junichiro his dressing down.

“I trust your superior, the Mr Takahasi Shigetane, will be our final contact for today. Could you tell me a bit about him from your perspective? What sort of man is he?”

Zemp does his best to match the pronunciation of the Tawakoshian name, managing to not fully butcher the name.

A band of Kiyonai samurai are approaching the three foreigners restricting them from entering into Kiyonai.
"Who are you and what business do you have in Kiyonai?" he wanted to know. "We would like to check your belongings." they said expecting Adelhard and his group to comply. They had caught the interest of the samurai and could be in for a few questions before - perhaps - being allowed to enter.

Ritter Adelhard von Vessia