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Though only a hut by Byzantine standards, the chief's house features twin carved wooden statues decorated with polished shells, glazed pottery, and other symbols of status.

Chief Kothis, seated on a bench inside, immediately impresses you as an astute and cunning leader. As his daughter sits nearby, checking the edge of a dozen frighteningly sharp stone knives, he quizzes you about Byzantium, the Specular, and where you came by your excellent medicine. He also answers some of your own questions, revealing that his father chose to abandon the River People's once-nomadic lifestyle and encouraged Kothis to maintain the village. The nameless river now has a mix of nomadic, seminomadic, and permanently settled populations.

The chief has obviously grilled Stralchus previously; no doubt he'll pounce on any contradictions between your answers and seek a way to exploit anything you tell him.