TTR 0: Zum King's Palace
The Tide Returning, by Zedeck Siew. Running Cairn with home-brew. Grandaunt Ngeng will not wed! Middle Month of Summer. Day 1. The Great Wood, a tidal mangrove forest populated by elder trees the size of skyscrapers. At the southern end of the forest lies the city and palace of Zum, a colonial-military-merchant population who has "co-habitated" with the Witch Folk of the Great Wood for the last few generations. Two days ago the Zum King (and his canny Scepter) disappeared. A young wild woman with magical tracking abilities: Ilira. A cautious and investigative Gul bodyguard: Brook. A legendary gentleman Zum thief: Alaric. These three are contacted by the vizier to the throne, to meet at the Second Market Docks. A water wrestling match is overseen at the docks by Karor (sentient tiger) and Good Captain Fintan (greasy leather-clad stranger). Ilira watches the scene from a nearby side-dock-street. Brook avoids the wrestling at the outer edges of the Second Market Docks, keepin...