GM scene, Hawk only
Most of the gossip overheard by Hawk is of a mundane variety; merchants complaining about shipping fees, shopholders complaining of lazy slaves, husbands complaining of wives. Lord Aronn’s name does not arise at all.
You do pick up some things of interest, however. As with coffee shops everywhere, politics is a significant part of the discussion.
Little of this talk centres around local concerns; it appears as if the people of West Tredroy are quite satisfied with the rule of Pasha al-Paradin. You do hear one merchant complaining about a court case that went against him due to obscure theological reasons, but the response from his companions is along the lines of “you’re an idiot for registering the contract here, you should’ve done it in North Tredroy”.
When it comes to national concerns, however, the political talk is much more serious. The Sultan, although in his mid-40’s, is childless and not well-respected. It seems that he is little more than a figurehead, with the real power in al-Haz instead resting in the hands of his Viziers. Much of the political talk seems to be in the nature of arguments over which of the four Viziers to support.
The names you hear for the Viziers are Barak, Omar, Salim and Sharif. The fans of Barak praise him as a righteous man and a great scholar; his critics decry him as a simple-minded and superstitious country Imam. Omar’s supporters argue that he instead is the wisest and most educated, although his critics mutter darkly about sorcery, with the name “Balik” occurring repeatedly.
Salim is praised as a sensible man, but criticised for his age and lack of initiative. Sharif earns the the most vigorous praise of the four, with his supporters lauding his competence and honesty. However, a few of the merchants pass comments along the lines of “you don’t want your government to be too honest, know what I mean?”.
Beyond the political talk, you also catch more than one conversation discussing a mysterious sickness in the west of the country. “Surely Allah would not allow such a thing in Geb’al-Din without reason?”.
