The Adventures of Sauf al-Sahar (The Swords of the Desert)
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Character | Player | Description |
Farid al Lamî’ Nisâl | Alex |
A 24-year old desert fighter, Farid left his Horse Clan of the Shining Blades to begin his Safar al-Kibîr (Journey of Adulthood). He met
the rest of the group while traveling with Mar'aqutt (see below), a friend of many years. Shortly after the group formed and he met Zaki (see below),
Farid took the vows of Farisi, a holy warrior in the
service of Corean. |
Hakaad al-Rimal | Phil |
Hakaad's usual form of self-introduction is something along the lines of, “I am Hakaad al-Rimal, wielder of magic, seeker of mysteries, slayer of dragons,
savior of Banja, and master of the hidden power of the desert.” An accomplished elemental sand mage, Hakaad is the self-proclaimed leader of the group.
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Izdahar al-Damir | Leanne |
Diminutive and perpetually innoocent, the Rawuna Isdahar is the chronicler and entertainer of the group. Her constant search for new stories and knowledge
frequently blind her to dangers virtually in front of her. |
Mar'aqutt (Nadimah bint Layyinah al Masa Saiyad) | Lori |
A young (111 years of age) elven desert ranger, Mar'aqutt ("Little Cat" in the Midani tongue) began this journey on her Safar al-Kibîr with Farid.
Along the way, after joining the group with him, she acquired an animal companion, an elven Jin-Sat named Sudha. |
Yasmina bint Rhayeema al-Arak | NPC |
This stunning blond beauty, still in her late teens, was saved by the group (led by Hakaad) from eventual death by torture and neglect at the hands of
the Calipha's minions. Shortly after her rescue and recovery, she and Hakaad wed and have been together ever since. Since joining the group, she has
undertaking the study of arcane forces and has become a powerful sorceress in her own right. Her entire life is centered around two goals; support
of her husband in his endeavors, and exacting agonizing revenge on the Calipha for the pain that she inflicted on Yasmina. |
Zafirah bint Farida | Kathy |
A Saluk whose only god is the full coin purse, Zafirah stays with the party because of the general potential for profit. She never passes up the
opportunity to complain with the group elects to undertake some activity or mission purely for altruistic motivations. |
Zaki al-Tahir | NPC | A pragmatist priest of Corean, this gnome joined the party early on, immediately after being rescued by them. |
Any sections highlighted in yellow (this color) indicate notes or comments inserted by the GM as questions, reminders, or general elaboration.
Any sections highlighted in aqua (this color) indicate activities that occur behind the scenes which may not be common knowledge to the party as a whole.
At a mid-point in the party's adventures, they come into possession of an artifact called Timorin's Mechanical Sage (more coloquially known as Drendar's Voice, after the god whose foresight it supposedly channels.) A complete list of the questions that the party has ever presented to the device, along with the answer they received and the date on which it occurred, can be found HERE.
Ashra (10) | ||
11th | The party’s first action together: defend a caravan from attacking Gargun. Several caravan members were kidnapped (including Yasmina). The party heads off in pursuit, accompanied by a cleric from the caravan named Maudi. En route, they encounter a wounded half-ogre Faris of Corean (Salah bin Mukhtaar al-Adal), who has had his mount (a Camel of the Pearl) shot out from under him by desert brigands. They offer medical assistance and then (at his insistence) continue on their way. | |
12th | Party finds Gargun pyramid, rescues Yasmina (and two others), returns her to her father. | |
14th | Caravan arrives in Rifaa. The party encounters Hakaad’s uncle Wazir on his way to Eidolon. Hakaad beds Yasmina. | |
15th | Yasmina and her father leave (with the caravan) for Shadazar. The party learns of two local young people, a brother and sister, went (with two other adventurers, a paladin and a ranger) to explore the Sunless Citadel (an underground warren to the south). They have been missing for a month and a reward is offered for finding them. Maudi (a priest of Hedrada who as traveling with the caravan) is missing, so the party finds a local cleric and buys some healing potions before heading toward the Sunless Citadel. | |
19th |
The party encounters a tribe of kobolds and acquires a
new (temporary) member of the group, Meepo. The kobold leader, Yusdrayl,
offers a reward for finding and returning their totem baby white dragon that
was stolen by goblins. |
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20th – 28th | The party explores the Sunless Citadel in fits and starts, frequently returning to town to recover and resupply. | |
Hed’ash (11) | ||
2nd | The party finds and rescues a gnome, Zaki Al-Tahir (a priest of Corean), who joins them to find Khaleel the Outcast – an evil druid that seems to have a hand in the missing siblings. | |
3rd – 8th | Train in town and continue to explore. Seek signs of the white dragon and of the Outcast. | |
9th | Find and rescue/subdue Calcryx, the baby white dragon. They celebrate with the kobolds, who make a very strong beverage. | |
10th | Yasmina and her father arrive in Shadazar. (Yasmina, who is only 16, and her father are travelling to Shadazar in the belief that Yasmina is one of the chosen few young girls who will serve the Calipha as her new handmaidens. When they arrive, there is a brief ceremony after which Yasmina and her father are parted, never to see each other again. The horrible truth is that the Calipha is an evil necromancer over 100 years old who requires the blood of 13 virgins once a year to retain her youth. The Calipha is furious when her attending priestesses learn that Yasmina is no longer the virgin she was expected to be. In her fury, the Calipha has Yasmina publically scourged, almost to death, and then taken to the Temple of Eternal Cold, high in the mountains, to die of starvation and neglect.) | |
15th | Calipha’s Celebration of Ascension. | |
18th | Maudi the priest of Hedrada, found buried in shallow grave east of Rifaa. | |
11th – 19th | The party explores more and battles various nasty creatures. | |
20th | The party discovers an underground library. It is very neglected, but a library nevertheless. Many tomes are dedicated to gardening and a huge book in Draconian is found. Izdahar is in heaven. The party finds a huge cavern with a very sick-looking grove of trees. | |
22nd | The party meets Khaleel “the Outcast”. They discover that he has given the missing siblings over to the Gulthias Tree. They defeat Khaleel, recover the remains of the brother and sister, and prepare to head back to town. | |
23rd | The party returns to town and informs mistress Al-Hanza of her children’s fate. She grieves but is grateful for the effort. | |
24th | Hakaad is arrested! | |
28th | Hakaad is tortured by Imam Aleasar Bey (and his henchman) for information about Hakaad’s uncle Wazir. All of Hakaad’s fingers are broken. In his pain, he couldn’t be sure, but Hakaad believes that T’laar was present during his inquisition. | |
Tnash (12) |
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5th | Party leaves Rifaa with a caravan headed east. | |
7th | The caravan is enveloped in a supernatural sand storm and the party is whisked off to the parallel world of Athus. They are press-ganged into servitude by Farcluun, the Dragon King. They later defeat him (with Hakaad driving a jambiya through his heart for the killing stroke), restore the oasis with the help of a local druid (while holding off a horde of zombies), and are then returned to Barr al-Fadi. One significant treasure they bring back is the “Eye of Ard”, although they have no idea of its importance. | |
8th | The caravan and party arrive in Obari. | |
9th | The caravan and party depart Obari. | |
10th | Yasmina’s birthday. She turns 17. | |
11th | The caravan and party arrive in Tabraqah. | |
12th | The caravan and party depart Tabraqah. | |
15th | The caravan and party arrive in Tajiq. The party leaves the caravan. | |
19th |
The party leaves Tajiq, headed south.
Mar’aqutt’s birthday. She turns 110. |
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22nd | The party arrives in Qasser Halai. | |
23rd | The party departs Qasser Halai and arrives in Banja the same evening. | |
24th | The party leaves Banja, headed south, to search for Shishmet – the Valley of Kings. | |
28th | The party arrives in Tabuk | |
Tlata’sh (13) |
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1st | The party explores west of town and finds the first stone milepost, suggesting the route to Shishmet, The hidden tomb valley of kings. | |
2nd | A second milepost is found. The party plans for a short trip (~7 days) round trip into the desert to look for a definite route to Shishmet. | |
3rd | The party leaves Tabuk, headed southwest into the deep desert. | |
7th | The party establishes a hidden water cache and heads back for town. | |
10th | On the return leg to Tabuk, party encounters a small raiding party of Gargun. They make short work of them. That evening, they encounter a hunting party of desert centaurs, led by a Lord Therin. The interaction is brief, but friendly. | |
11th | The party returns to Tabuk and makes provision for the long haul. | |
12th | The party leaves Tabuk again, this time headed all the way to Shishmet (they hope.) | |
15th | The party does battle to a pair of large desert cats. | |
16th | The party encounters a desert gynosphinx named Cytheria. She demands that they participate in a contest of riddles with her. When they win, she grudgingly allows them to pick from her stash of magic items. They select a Canteen of Endless Water. Late in the day, they encounter an old fort guarding a bridge across a deep chasm splitting the badlands. A troll and pair of slow-witted orcs maintain guard from a small ruined fort on the far side (and wring tolls out of any who cross.) The party dispatches them and settles in for the night. They discover that, in addition to being a secure location to camp, the old ruin has a deep well yielding clean water. Once night has fallen, they discover that the soft canyon walls in this location are saturated with pulverized Sithurl, commercially worthless, but fantastically beautiful at night. Mar’aqutt collects a small bagful. | |
18th | The party discovers the outer valley of Shishmet and arrives at the “entrance temple”. | |
19th | The party discovers the secret passage into the lower valley and spends the next two days looting tombs. | |
21st | In the tomb of Hepti VII, Yazeed drowns in a water trap. | |
22nd | The party leaves Shishmet, hurrying back to Tabuk in a desperate attempt to have Yazeed raised before time runs out. | |
23rd | The party departs the outer valley. | |
28th | The party arrives in Tabuk, just in the nick of time, and has Yazeed raised at a local temple. | |
Arbata’sh (14) |
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2nd |
Izdahar’s birthday. She turns 17. |
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4th | Zafirah trains in Tabuk. | |
8th | The party leaves Tabuk, bound again for Shishmet. They encounter a group sent after Hakaad by Aleasar Bey. The attackers are defeated. All but the commander are slain. He survives by protecting himself with a Cube of Force until he teleport away. Mar’aqutt is poisoned during the battle. The party hurries back to Tabuk for a Neutralize Poison from the temple. | |
9th | The party heads out again. | |
11th | The party battles a pair of giant scorpions. | |
14th | The party arrives at “Troll Keep” and spends the night. | |
15th | The party battles a pair of Ankhegs. | |
16th | The party arrives at Shishmet. | |
17th | The party loots the tomb of Badra al-Din the Pious. That evening, their campsite is accosted by a single wight, which they drive off. | |
18th | The party does battle with six wights, killing one and driving off the rest. | |
19th | The party loots the tomb of Suphet-Na and battles a ghast (which they defeat.) | |
20th | The party makes a first attempt at penetrating the Hall of Wind. Other than killing two giant spiders, they do not succeed. They make camp for the night and lick their wounds. | |
21st | The party spends a day recovering. | |
22nd | Ditto | |
23rd | The party succeeds at removing the Pipes of Haunting from the Hall of Winds. Later in the day, they encounter (and best) a wandering mummy. | |
24th | The party cleans out the tomb of the Bandit King. | |
25th | The party loots the tomb of Gremm Fasthands. | |
26th | The party plunders the tomb of Abdul-Haqq and defeats six Dargoth (Baatezu) in a pitched battle. They advance as far as the burial chamber foyer and then retire to recover from their wounds. | |
27th | The Party sets out for Tabuk. | |
Quddam ali Shati | Festival day. | |
Khalf ali Shati | Festival day. |
Wahid (1) | ||
3rd | The Party arrives in Tabuk. | |
4th | The Party departs Tabuk, bound for Banja. | |
6th | The Party does battle with an earth elemental. | |
7th | The Party arrives in Banja. | |
9th | Farid and Zaki train. | |
10th | Zaki continues training. The party meets Aurora Kasparian al-Sayid for the first time. | |
11th | Izdahar commissions four scrolls. | |
13th | Izdahar take delivery of her scrolls. Mar’aqutt, Farid, and Izdahar have dinner with al-Sayid. | |
14th | Hakaad requests a meeting with al-Sayid, to discuss rescuing Yasmina. His uncle Wazir is present (Hakaad punches him.) al-Sayid arranges for Sharn to guide the party through “The In Between”. The party leaves for Shadazar at midnight. | |
16th | After two days negotiating “The In Between”, the party arrives in Shadazar. | |
17th | Zafirah, Hakaad, and Izdahar explore the “lower city”. | |
19th | Hakaad and Mar’aqutt explore the “Warrens”. | |
20th | The party learns Yasmina’s location (the abbey at the Temple of Eternal Cold). | |
21st | Yazeed double-crosses the party, but is caught by Sharn. | |
22nd | Just after midnight, the party breaks into the Ministry of Internal Security and gates to the abbey. They find and free Yasmina (who is on the edge of death), and steal a small (courier) airship (which is damaged by quadracite gun fire in the escape.) Just after dawn they crash and are forced to continue south on foot. | |
25th | The party encounters a Djinn, “Kareem, Master of the Southern Wind” who directs them to the Temple of Ard. The party gives the “Eye of Ard” to them and they use its power to heal Yasmina. | |
26th | Hakaad proposes marriage to Yasmina and she accepts. | |
28th | Hakaad and Yasmina are wed by Primus, the high priest of Ard. | |
Tnain (2) |
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4th | The party departs the Temple of Ard, headed south on foot. As reach the nearest low hill, they turn to see the entire temple slowly being enveloped by the mountainside. In a few minutes, nothing is left but wilderness. | |
5th | The party does battle with two dust blights. | |
8th | The party defeats a smallish sand dragon (which later, becomes Farid and Mar’aqutts leather armor) and endures a moderate sandstorm. | |
10th | Battle of the Barrow of Narrendru | |
15th | The party is ambushed by two harssaf, but defeats them handily. | |
16th | The party battles 3 ghul in the ruins of Tamabra, and meets Sameer, the brass dragon. They spend the night in the ruins, conversing with Sameer, who is happy for the company. | |
17th | The party spends the day with Sameer, resting before continuing the journey. The night, Mar’aqutt wakes to find Sudha, a Jinn-Sat, laying next to her. He explains (mentally) that they are bound to one another. | |
18th | Shortly after departing the ruins, the party encounters a small band of mounted brigands. After brief, and rather one-sided, exchange, the party continues south on their new horses. | |
19th | The party is fortunate to see (from a distance) a rare dallisad. | |
20th | Late in the day, the party arrives at Maktaba al Dahab (“the Golden Library”.) Al-Sayid visits the party and brings them up to date on the war. | |
22nd | Yazeed escapes and flees west, pursued by Sharn. Neither is seen again. | |
23rd | Farid and Mar’aqutt arrange to have the sand dragon hide carefully tanned. | |
27th | Farid and Mar’aqutt take delivery of the tanned sand dragon hide. | |
Tlati (3) |
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1st – 21st | Rumors and gossip of the now-active state of war between the Caliphate and Genosha abound. | |
22nd | The party leaves Maktaba al Dahab, headed west for Banja. | |
24th | The party encounters a large band of gnolls. Hakaad makes short work of them by enveloping them in the grinding sands of a Haboob. | |
25th |
The party
encounters (and spends the night with) the desert Clan of the Bright Spear at
the Oasis of the Rock. The clan’s blind Sayyadina reads the fortunes of all
the party members, some of which are chilling. The individual prophecies are:
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27th | The party arrives at the ford of the Naher al-Sarif. They encounter and slay two manticores. | |
Arb’a (4) |
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3rd | The party arrives in Enabar. The town’s mood is subdued as a result of the nearby war. | |
4th | The party leaves Enabar. | |
6th | The party battles a pair of goat devils. Later they encounter and defeat a mixed group (warriors and casters) of two dozen warforged. They leave the caravan route and travel overland from that point on, to avoid Genoshan troops. | |
8th | The party witnesses (at a distance) a searing white blast and smoke column, as some unknown agent obliterates a Genoshan column of warforged and fire mages. | |
10th | The party defeats four warforged scouts that they discover in the desert. | |
13th | The party defeats a dust wight. | |
16th | The party arrives outside a besieged Banja late at night. They hole up in a devastated villa. | |
17th | Shortly after midnight, Tarun (a vampire minion of al-Sayid) meets the party. He sneaks them into town through the east gate, under the guise of invisibility. | |
22nd | The party has dinner with al-Sayid. | |
25th | The party joins with the city militia to scour the city sewers of invading warforged. | |
Khamsi (5) |
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1st | The party aids in the defense of Banja, fighting fire elements at the city walls. The evening, al-Sayid tells the party that she believes she can break the siege, but only if they retrieve first one, and then another, item for her. The first in a tomb in Shishmet. Since the party cannot easily travel there by conventional means, she presents Hakaad with a scroll containing two Tunnel of Sand spells. | |
2nd | The party magically travels to Shishmet. That evening, they are attacked in their camp by gravel elemental. | |
3rd | The party conducts preliminary explorations at the Ziggurat of Sultan Eabani of Erech. Discovering indications of the presence of wights, they set traps and move on to other tombs (planning to return here after dark.) They return to the previously-visited tomb of Abdul-Haqq. Having cleaned out the tomb as far as the burial chamber foyer, they return to that point and prepare. Upon entering the tomb, they activate four animated statues, which they battle and defeat. Along with other treasures, Mar’aqutt acquires her pair of scimitars. They return to the ziggurat and lay in wait for the undead to make their appearance. Three wights and a wraith emerge and are trounced by the party. In the final chamber, they encounter a shadow with which Zafirah strikes up a conversation. She convinces it to depart w/o fighting, the party recovers a Hejleh (a “Lamentation Box”) for al-Sayid, and they use the other Tunnel of Sand spell to return to Banja just before midnight. | |
4th | Traveling through a temporary gate created by al-Sayid (with the Lamentation Box and a blood sacrifice), the party arrives at a huge tower in Stygia, the 5th plane of Hell. They suffer a conversation with a thoroughly despicable little creature bearing the appearance of a midget court jester (complete with costume) being guarded by a cephalyx. After battling a pair of Kytons (Chain Devils) they recover a Sanguine Safe (a magically sealed crystal cylinder containing a greenish, glowing, roiling fluid; the soul of a powerful diabolical creature). | |
5th | The party flees back through the gate and returns to Banja in the middle of the night. They collapse, exhausted. In the morning, part of the party (Hakaad, Yasmina, Mar’aqutt, and Farid) accompanies al-Sayid for a parley with the Genoshan commanders. They meet the Genoshan chief tactical, a Bleak General named Sanat Kumara Viscerix. In exchange for the return of his soul (now in the possession of al-Sayid), he agrees to end his assistance to the Genoshan host, much to the dismay of the Genoshan senior fire mages in attendance. | |
6th | The siege of Banja ends with the departure of the surrounding Genoshan forces. | |
9th |
Zafirah begins training.
Zafirah’s birthday. She turns 21. |
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11th | Zafirah completes training. | |
14th | The Emir of Banja hosts a grand party to celebrate the end of the siege and to honor the “Liberators of Banja” (the party). While al-Sayid attends the party as an important city noble, she is conspicuously removed from the group of “heroes”. | |
17th | Mar’aqutt takes delivery of her newly enchanted bow. The public unveiling of the statue of the “Liberators of Banja” takes place in the main square with much fanfare. Several party members are NOT pleased with the attention. | |
18th | The party leaves Banja, bound for Karkemish. Mention of this long-abandoned dwarven stronghold was discovered by Izdahar while browsing in the library at the College of Heralds. | |
19th | The party arrives in Dhofar in the evening. | |
20th | The party departs Dhofar, headed for the ford to Al Arish. They arrive that afternoon. | |
21st | The party departs Al Arish. | |
23rd | The party arrives at Karkemish. | |
24th | Mar’aqutt, Zafirah, and Ru’yan scout the mountain, all the way around the base. | |
25th | The party enters the mountain. First they take two bugbears guarding the entrance by surprise, disarm them and send them off into the desert. Shortly afterwards, the free a caged (and hungry) bear. Mar’aqutt talks with him and suggests that he “follow” the two bugbears. The bear does so. By the end of the day, they’ve neutralized all the creatures occupying that level. | |
26th | The party proceeds downwards to the Glitterhame and secures half of it. | |
27th | The party is surprised by a giant catapult beetle that attacks their camp, but they prevail over it. | |
28th | The party meets Figgen, a strange caterpillar-like creature with bizarre powers and a mercurial attitude. He seems to take a liking to them. They return into the mountain and engage in a desperate battle with a roper, which they defeat. With many injuries, they are forced to retreat from the mountain and rest for several days. | |
Sitti (6) |
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3rd | The party returns to the mountain and defeat a group of Duergar attempting to rejuvenate the foundry. | |
5th | The party engages and defeats a host of opponents: an allip, wight, skeletons, and a succubus. | |
6th | The party heads back for civilization. | |
8th | The party arrives at Al Arish to find the village mysteriously deserted. They investigate all the empty buildings, but can find no sign of the inhabitants or why they left. That night, while camp just outside the community, they see strange lights in the center of the village and stumble across a strange, pale, elf-like woman named Clyalushkotunaifentahovalisa (Clya, for short.) She is fleeing a group of creatures called Yuln-Coia (“life drinkers”), who have been sent to slay her and retrieve an artifact she stole from an evil Vashneeshti named Tavuishava. She claims he is planning to “destroy the world” (her world). The party decides to return with her to Talavaentela (“the City without End”) and seek help among other powerful Vashneeshti. | |
12th | After four days of nerve-wracking caving, the party arrives in the caverns of the Endless City, and set forth on Celebra-malle’ (the Great Silver Road) to find the Grand Bazaar. | |
15th | The party arrives at the Grand Bazaar where they meet Clya’s “Uncle Carnifex” (who turns out to be a doppelganger, although only Hakaad learns this). After lengthy discussion the party learns that there is a “back door” to Tavuishava’s work area. With help from the Ninhos (the “wet folk”), they may be able to travel there and enter undetected. | |
19th | After four days of travel, and guided by a Ninhosin scout named Eshoway of the “Black Water People”, the party arrives at the protectors laboratory. They do battle with several of his mechanical “hollow knights”. Their attempt to sabotage his “great machine” fails, but they delay him long enough for other (good) protectors summoned by Clya to arrive. They pronounce sentence on him and destroy him. | |
22nd | The party is escorted by a pair of protectors to a strange underground train which takes them back to the surface. As they exit from a cave into an open forest under sunny skies, the cave closes up behind them, leaving no sign that it ever existed. Finding that they are somewhere in the Pillars of the Sky, east of Maktaba al-Dahab, they saddle up and heads west. | |
23rd | The party engages in a battle with four ogre barbarians. They triumph, but Mar’aqutt is slain. | |
24th | Zaki expends an invested divine icon of Corean and raises Mar’aqutt from the dead. | |
25th | The party encounters a colossal scorpion (the size of a large house). They give it a wide berth. | |
27th |
The party
arrives at the remote village of Shagar
al-Sakhr to find the entire population butchered in some gruesome ritual.
They find mysterious text carved in a tree trunk: “The hidden come out from among the lords of flame and the Enolas will return to burn the sky. Beware the Queen in White” They also meet the Warlock and Kat, who appear to be investigating the atrocity. |
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28th | Late in the afternoon, the party arrives at Maktaba al-Dahab. | |
Sab’a (7) |
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1st | The party is delighted to run into Salah. He joins them for dinner at their inn. The southern village of Al-Shibar is incinerated by “fired that rained from great cylinders in the sky.” | |
2nd | The party dines with Haroushin, a priest of Hedrada. With conflict over the accuracy of the recently recovered book The Kingdom of Lions, Haroushin retains the party to enter the Mount of Forgiveness and recover the remains of Amakim Ibn Issad, the ancient king who authored the book. | |
3rd |
Led through
the cemetery by a nervous gravedigger named Pervez, party enters the
Mount of Forgiveness. While there,
they encounter hordes of undead (mostly ghouls and ghasts), including a group
of four vampires (two fighters, a rogue, and a spellcaster.) Two are slain,
the other two escape. Then they return to town.
Zaki’s birthday. He turns 83. |
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4th |
Haroushin
visits the inn first thing in the morning, pays the party 50% of the agreed
fee and tells them “their services are no longer required.” He privately
confides to Zaki and Farid that it is very much out of character for his
superiors to abandon a task so important to the city and he doesn’t know why
they are doing so. No sooner has he left than a man-servant enters the common
area of the inn where Hakaad and Yasmina are breaking their fast. He presents
Hakaad with a box, informs him, “This is a message from my master”, and then
plunges a dagger into his own head. The box contains the severed head of one of
the vampires that escaped the day before, along with a note that reads,
“As this ‘trophy’ demonstrates, I do not suffer failure lightly. - Enki” |
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6th | The Emir’s party takes place. In addition to the Emir, there are several other individuals of note attending, including the Calipha, T’laar, and the Warlock (with Kat). | |
7th |
News of the
destruction of Al-Shibar reaches Maktaba al-Dahab.
Izdahar
receives the following mysterious note from an archivist at the Golden
Library,
“I have found a reference that may be of great interest to you. I have only a narrow window of opportunity for you to examine it. Please come to the library as soon as possible and ask for me by name. Safi bint Ayna” When Izdahar arrives at the library, she is taken to a locked cell in a sub-basement, where she is given the opportunity to read Book of Knives: Bloodlines of the Deathless in Vindarten. This being a history of vampires, written by vampires themselves. She spends most of the day reading the book, which is not allowed to leave the room. In the evening, after returning to the inn, Izdahar receives another message from Safi, saying she has more information and would Izdahar come to her home as soon as possible. Izdahar does so, but upon arriving, finds the front door ajar and no lights in the apartment. Sensing danger, she leaves without entering. |
|
8th | The party members are curious about their sudden dismissal regarding the Mount of Forgiveness. They leave the city with the supposed intention of returning to Banja. | |
9th | After traveling a couple miles, the party circles back to the Mount. They are caught by local authorities when they attempt to sneak back into the cemetery. Great theatrics ensue. They manage to bluff their way clear and head underground. They explore extensively, encountering a number of bizarrely decorated burial chambers. They do battle with a groupof four Quth-Maren, who they dispatch. In a large natural cavern, split by a bottomless chasm, they encounter a Night Beast, apparently under the control of a black-clothed man on the far side of the fissure. This is Soon Sa-Nuq, a Deathmaster in the service of the Calipha. The party defeats the monster, but the man escapes. The party later discovers a large ornate hall, filled with all manner of minor undead. They are all in the thrall of a creature (a lich?) consisting of only a head, floating above a makeshift throne. When the party spots the late Amakim Ibn Issad and his brother in the front row of the “congregation”, they realize that they are in over their heads and they leave. They return to their camp site several miles from town, collect their horses and possessions, and return to Maktaba al-Dahab. They take lodging once again in the Library Inn. | |
10th | A scholarly-appearing older man approaches Hakaad at breakfast. He introduces himself as Anwar ibn-Jibran and presents a letter of reference from Hakaad’s uncle Wazir. He wishes the party to meet someone. They are escorted to the citadel where they meet a warforged named Spiral. He defected from the Genoshan forces and wishes to help the other side in return for getting help to free his “brothers”. He reports that the Genoshan artificers have developed a new deadly poison gas they call the Ashen Storm. An entire village to the south was slaughtered to test the poison. Spiral says the Ashen Storm is being produced in a previously abandoned fortress call the Planar Citadel of Tausyr, which resides on the slopes of the volcano Jabal iHtaraq (just over 100 miles southeast of Genosha). Once the home of a mighty wizard, this ruin contains many portals to other planes, from which the raw ingredients are drawn to create the weapon. The party agrees to undertake its destruction, but must train first. Anwar agrees to foot the bill. | |
16th | Having advertised for a man-servant, Hakaad hires Yusuf Abdul-Faisil ibn Mazhar. | |
18th | Hakaad acquires a familiar, a mongoose named Rafiqah. | |
22nd | Training completed, the party heads southwest (accompanied by Spiral on foot), guided by a half-elven woman ranger named Shahrazad bint-Nashwa. | |
24th | The party encounters the airship Eclipse being harried by over a dozen mounted barbarians. They dispatch the brigands and are welcomed aboard the airship, which will transport them to the floating city of Eidolon. Within a few hours of boarding the airship, the party, ship, and crew begin to suffer the attacks of some mysterious assassin, who seems to be able to impersonate anyone he chooses. A running on-and-off battle continues into the night. Meanwhile, the Eclipse continues for forge ever eastward, towards Eidolon. | |
25th |
The battle
with the assassin/saboteur continues unabated through the night. At one
point, he manages to jam the ships rudder, forcing off course. With
substantial effort, repairs are affected and the ship resumes its original
heading. Finally, about mid-morning, the party manages to corner the villain
in the Elemental Chamber of the ship. His resources depleted and all exits
blocked, he teleports away to fight another day. In the early afternoon, the
Eclipse arrives at Eidolon. Anith
Aellamelé, a counselor of Eidolon (a striking elven woman with
flowing black hair), accompanied by half a dozen armed and armored guards
(wearing white, enameled plate armor with gold scrollwork), meets the party
at the sky pier where the Eclipse docks. While Eidolon soldiers search the
airship (in vain) for the saboteur, Anith escorts the party to comfortable
quarters (with an enclosed garden area) where they rest, clean up, and
generally refresh themselves. That evening, they attend an elegant
dinner/conference. Aside from Anith, the following individuals are also present:
|
|
26th |
Shortly after midnight, several members of the party are awakened by an apparent thunderclap. No alarm is raised, so they return to sleep. At breakfast that morning, they learn from Anith that the city was attacked in the night, by unknown forces. In short order, the party re-boards the Eclipse, which is tasked with dropping them as close to the citadel as possible, without being attacked by Genoshan forces. Prior to departure, they are informed that three other, similar, ships were also sent out in different directions, each as a decoy. Hopefully, this will help the Eclipse sneak deeper into Genoshan territory without detection. Shortly afternoon, two metallic, dart-shaped aircraft (almost certainly of Genoshan original) are spotted in the distance, bearing down on the Eclipse from the east. Given that the Eclipse is a liner, rather than a fighting ship, the outcome looks bleak. With no warning, a huge golden winged shape dives out of the sun attacking the two enemy airships. Breathing fire, it sends one plunging into the sea and the other limping away, severely damaged. The golden dragon wheels back towards the Eclipse, where it ‘morphs into Sharajsha as it touches down on the main deck. He explains that he followed them out to inform them that one of the decoy airships has been destroyed and they should redouble their efforts at stealth. He wishes them good luck and good hunting, then he flies away. The rest of the day passes without incident. |
|
28th |
The Eclipse arrives roughly five miles east of the Citadel just before dawn. The party heads out about one hour after sunrise, heading into the toxic, volcanic region surrounding the ruined keep. With less than two miles to go, the party stumbles upon something that should not be: a grove of healthy trees, surrounding a grassy clearing, in an area of fresh air. Noticing that the myriad of wildflowers blooming in the clearing seem to run in straight lines, the party quickly realizes that they spell out, in huge letters, “’allo!” They realize that this oasis in such a poisoned area is almost certainly the work of Figgen, for no reason they can discern. Since the clearing has a small pool of fresh water, they leave their horses here and continue on foot. The party reaches the main entrance to the citadel, only to find it well guarded by two dozen warforged and a pair of fire giants. They scout around the perimeter for a less well guarded entrance. An abandoned (but well-secured) tube of some kind slopes up into the basalt plug (on which the citadel is built). Even this entrance is guarded by six warforged, but the party decides they can be successfully eliminated. At the same time, Hakaad carries out a diversion at the main entrance. Yasmina dimension doors Farid, Zafirah, and herself behind the six warforged for a surprise attack and then sand blasts them to oblivion. While Zafirah sets about opening the complex barrier on the tube, Hakaad, while invisible, spider-climbs part way up the face of the plug adjacent to the winding stairs of the main approach and the uses a stone to sand spell to dissolve the top platform, sending several fire giants to their doom. In the ensuing confusion, he escapes to rejoin the party. Once Zafirah defeats the lock, the party climbs through it to come out in the base of one of the abandoned perimeter towers surrounding the keep. Climbing to the top, they cross a stone bridge and enter the keep proper. Battling fire giants, fire elements, and warforged, the party reaches the ground floor. In what was apparently a study, they find magic circle, set in the floor that radiates strong conjuration magic. Suspecting that it will take them to where they want to go, they all step into it and are instantly whisked to an identical circle in a small triangular room with no doors. Determining that they are in a network of teleport circles, they attempt mental control. After a bit if experimentation, they arrive in a small chamber with winding stairs down into the earth. At the bottom, they exit into an underground intersection of two large corridors. Many secure metal doors line both sides of the corridor and a number of them have metal pipes coming out of the (at ground level) and converging in the single set that leads down the central passage. Following this, the party finds a great room containing a massive swirling vortex of light at its center. An arcane staff of some sort is set in a stone socket in the floor. As they study all of this, a red-robed man enters the chamber from a side passage, starts at the sight of the party, and flees back the way he came. The party pursues and encounters a group of Genoshan fire mages who they defeat in hard battle. Yasmina the uses her Wand of Disassembly on some of the machinery and Hakaad removes the staff from its socket. With a roar and an earthquake-like shuddering, the chamber comes apart. The party falls and lands outdoors, in a grassy clearing, in a strange monochromatic world. After traveling towards a spot that might have a village, they encounter a tall, weather-worn man with the antlers of a deer. When Zaki addresses him as Herne the Hunter, the figure denies the identity, but indicates that he will guide them back to their own world. He informs the party that they have fallen into the Dreamlands at the edge of the Plane of Shadow. As they travel, their guide constantly changes appearance, but never anything familiar. The forest gradually assumes the consistency and appearance of glass, and eventually the party enters a hall of mirrors that show reflections of things past. Passing one mirror, Spiral sees his reflection point some sort of silvery tube at him. The tube spouts fire which leaves the mirror and vaporizes Spiral head. That party carries his body in the hope of restoring him. Eventually, they find a mirror showing “Figgen’s grove”, where the horses were left. They step through the mirror and find themselves expelled from the pool in the clearing. In the distance, they can see the citadel is now nothing more than a smoking crater. They secure Spirals body to one of the horses and return to the Eclipse. Once aboard, the captain makes best speed towards Maktaba al-Dahab. |
|
Quddam ali Saif | Festival day. | |
Khalf ali Saif | Festival day. | |
Tmany (8) | ||
1st |
The Eclipse drops the party off a few miles outside the city and departs. With Spirals body covered, the party re-enters the city and heads for the barracks. They leave Spirals body with Anwar, in the hopes that he can be restored somehow. Then, they return to the Library Inn, where Zaki finds the following note waiting in his pocket, “Sharn knows me. Sharn fears me.” No one can make heads or tails of it. Later, Anwar arrives in the company of two burly soldiers bearing a strongbox. It is the parties’ payment for a job well done and contains 2,000 dinar. Anwar wishes to hear the story of the parties exploit so they retire to a private dining room, Hakaad orders strong coffee and desserts for everyone, and Izdahar spins the tale. |
|
2nd – 9th |
The party rests and recuperates. Hakaad determines that the staff retrieved from Tausyrs’ citadel is a Staff of Passage and contains many powerful earth magiks. The party agrees that he would be best suited to wield it. Ru-yan, Izdahar, and Zafirah pick up their “Figgen” parasol brooches, which they had commissioned earlier. |
|
10th | The party departs for Banja. | |
11th | The party is attacked by two bulettes. They manage to slay both beasts, but not before Zaki is hurt and his pony (and one camel) is killed. They head back for Maktaba al-Dahab. | |
12th | Farid’s birthday. He turns 25. (Unknown birthday.) | |
13th | The party arrives back at Maktaba al-Dahab. Zaki secures another pony. | |
14th | The party departs for Banja again. | |
18th | The party arrives at the Oasis of the Rock and meets four members of the Clan of the Tall Grass. The nomads are participating in their Rite of Passage and are hunting Manticore. | |
19th | The party and the Tall Grass clan members leave the oasis together, heading west. | |
20th | The group arrives at the ford of the Naher al-Sarif. The party and clan members part company. The party fords the river and continues west. In the late afternoon, they encounter (and slay) three gorgons. They keep the horns. | |
21st |
The party finds a caravan camel, still carrying its cargo (crates of ambergris), wandering loose. After backtracking it, they find the savaged remains of a caravan (horses, camels, and people) After scouting the area, they find another dead camel about one mile south of the caravan trail. Zaki says a prayer for the dead over the bodies and Hakaad buries them using his sand magic. They move on. A short while later, they spot a red dragon bearing down on them. They take refuge in a narrow crevice, but it’s not deep enough to protect them from the dragons attack. They manage to drive it off, but not before Yasmina is seriously injured. Zaki heals her. Several party members are overcome by the fierce midday heat and the party retreats to shade until the temperature drops in the afternoon. Once that happens, they mount up and track the dragon south about ten miles, where they come upon some old ruins, which they identify as all that is left of the Priory of Abu al Khayr, the Austere. After searching, they discover a pile of large rocks concealing a hole in the ground. Hakaad flows between the rocks in sand form, discovering the dragon in its lair beneath them. Unfortunately, the dragon spots him. Hakaad stalls for time, talking to the dragon. Eventually, too much time passes and Yasmina (accompanied by Farid) comes for him. They flee to the surface, followed by the angry dragon. The party scatters. Hakaad manages to lead the dragon far enough away for the rest of the party to magically force open the dragon’s lair and take refuge inside. The dragon returns and follows them underground. With little room for the dragon to maneuver inside its lair, the party is on a more even footing. Even so, Farid and Zaki are almost killed before the dragon is slain. Wounds are bound, healing spells are cast, and the party spends the night in the dragons’ lair, counting treasure. |
|
22nd | Taking extra care to re-conceal the lair entrance, the party mounts up, returns north to the caravan trail, and then continues east. | |
24th | The party arrives in Enabar in the evening. They distribute much of the salvaged caravan supplies to the villagers, who have suffered great deprivation due to the war. | |
25th | The party departs Enabar for Dhofar. In the afternoon, the party comes across a pile of slain warforged next to the trail. Across the trail from the bodies as what appears to be a stoneshaped stele, honoring a group fallen in battle and dated a couple months earlier. | |
26th |
The party stumbles across a stone golem, uncovered by a recent sandstorm. They manage to destroy it. Afterwards, Hakaad senses a chamber of some sort beneath the sand. The party digs for four hours and then gives up. They will have to wait until morning and use magic to penetrate the space. That night, Hakaad has a horrible nightmare, in which Yasmina slaughters the entire party. |
|
27th |
The next
morning, Zaki uses stoneshape to create a passage below. The party descends
into a small chamber complex where they are attacked by a dread wraith. They
manage to defeat it. After leaving the chamber, Hakaad creates a stone cap
over the opening, and then camouflages it with sand.
Ru-yan’s birthday. She turns 20. |
|
28th | The party arrives in Dhofar. The mood in the village is bleak. The battles between Genosha and the Calipha’s forces continue, only now the Calipha is using undead troops. There has been little caravan traffic because of the war and the village is in short supply of many basics. The party gifts them many items that were “salvaged” from the dragon-attacked caravan: linen, oil, camphor, and many kitchen items. Needless to say, the villagers are grateful. | |
Tis’a (9) |
||
1st | The party departs Dhofar, headed west to Banja. In the afternoon, they spot the tracks of numerous warforged on the caravan trail, along the large square-ish tracks of an unknown type. That evening, they make camp well away from the trail. As they begin to settle in for the night, they hear mechanical noises coming from the trail. When they investigate, they see the silhouette of some huge, hulking, box-like creature. It is casting about on the trail as if looking for tracks. Eventually it lumbers off into the desert to the south. | |
2nd | The party breaks camp and resumes their trek westward. Having traveled less than a mile, they are surprised with the box-like mechanical monstrosity attacks. It is later determined to be a Slaughterstone Eviserator. Fortunately, Zaki is able to magically neutralize the mechanisms inherent spell resistance. Otherwise the party would probably have been… well… slaughtered. Instead, they vanquish it. After the dust of battle settles, they determine that the four large blades it wielded are apparently made of Adamantium. The party detaches them for possible sale or other use, once they reach Banja. | |
3rd | In the afternoon, the party is surprised by five Harssaf who erupt out of the sand to attack them. Avoiding their inherent heat aura, the party moves back and volleys with ranged weapons. Ultimately, they kill one and the remaining four retreat. | |
4th | The day passed without incident, but a strange incident takes place once the party makes camp for the evening. As they are settled around the campfire, al-Sayid appears out of the darkness. In and of itself, this is not especially surprising. However, she behaves in a most callous, demeaning, and condescending fashion towards all of the party members, which is very much out of character. She then turns and departs without further action. | |
5th | The trail-weary travelers reach the walls of Banja at sunset. They head straight for the Golden Goblet (by now, their inn-of-choice) and secure rooms. | |
6th |
Hakaad is awakened by a mouse leaning on his sleeping wife’s breast. The mouse is
wearing clothing (well, a fancy vest and little red fez) and it talks! He introduces himself as
“Moustafa” (aka “Rick”) and has a proposition for Hakaad (and, presumably,
the rest of the party.) He represents a small group of mice that occupy a
deserted villa/estate in the nicer part of town. It is the former residence
of one Nasir ibn-Muzaffar, an
eccentric mage who vanished without warning a little over two years ago. The
villa has remained derelict ever since as it is reputed to be “haunted” (a
condition Rick and his friends work hard at perpetuating). Rick states that
their repertoire is running a bit thin, so the prudent step is to find someone
to take legal possession of the place and share it peacefully with the mice.
Hakaad is definitely intrigued by the idea and takes initial steps to find
out more about Muzaffar and his former residence (including exploring the
building and grounds, to see what it consists of).
Meanwhile, Mar’aqutt goes shopping for some new clothes and hires a scribe to produce an invitation for Awad al-Majd (her dwarven swordsmith friend) to join her for dinner at a date of his convenience. After a cursory exploration of Muzaffar’s villa, Hakaad returns to the inn and informs the party of his meeting with Rick and the offer that has been made. Discussion ensues. |
|
7th | The party “tours” Muzaffar’s villa. During this second visit, a hidden door is discovered that conceals stairs leading underground. The party investigates and discovers Muzaffar’s hidden laboratory and sanctum. One of the larger chambers contains an incredibly complicated set of overlapping magic circles inlaid in the floor. They need to be investigated with extreme caution. | |
8th |
The party
discusses forming a company. They agree on Mar’aqutt’s proposed name “Sauf al-Sahar” (Swords of the Desert)
and the emblem to go with it. Yasmina and Ru’yan arrange the formation of the
company and sign the documents of incorporation (760 kiam).
Afterwards, Ru’yan and Yasmina arrange with a local silversmith to have party pins (bearing the company emblem) crafted for each party member. |
|
9th |
Zaki and
Hakaad complete the transfer of ownership of the estate to Sauf al-Sahar, and
sign the title and deed (350 kiam).
Ru’yan and Zaki take red dragon hide to be tanned. Mar’aqutt and Farid invite Awad al-Majd to dinner at the inn. They discuss Karkemish and the adamantine blades. Awad is intrigued and excited by both. After dinner, the three walk to the Temple of Corean (where the blades are being stored) and Awad inspects one. He offers to buy one blade (as part of a group of smiths) 8,400 dinar. Half to be paid upon delivery to his forge tomorrow and the balance within five days. |
|
10th |
Farid and
Mar’aqutt deliver the blade to Awad. They take the remaining three and secret
them in the hidden chambers of the villa.
Mar’aqutt commissions Sudha’s magical collar (12,200 kiam), paid for by equal contributions from the entire party. She goes to Tamara bint Izar (a 6th level wizard) and also commissions her to bump Mar’aqutt’s Sand Dragon armor bonus to +3 (5,360 kiam). The armor will be ready on 9/16 and the collar will be ready on 10/4. |
|
15th | Mar’aqutt commissions a brass gate plaque (bearing the Sauf al-Sahar emblem) for the gate of the estate. | |
16th |
The company
pins are collected from the silversmith and distributed. Ru’yan and Zaki take
delivery of the tanned red dragon hide. They immediately take it to Radivang,
an abrasive local armorer (reputed to be the best in town) to have +2 red
dragon (leather) armor fashioned.
That afternoon, Mar’aqutt picks up her boosted armor. Later that day, the party meets the family of four that will be serving the estate. They are Douban ibn-Rashid and Malika bint-Zara (father & mother), and Rasad bin-Douban and Adara bin-Malika (son & daughter). |
|
22nd | Mar’aqutt takes delivery of the brass plaque and has a craftsman mount it at the gate. | |
Ashra (10) |
||
Izdahar’s enchanted abaya is ready. WHAT DAY WAS IT COMMISSIONED ON? | ||
4th |
The villa repairs are finished and the party begins to move in. Mar’aqutt picks up Sudha’s collar.
Yasmina purchases two cure moderate wounds potions (2d8+3) from the temple of Madriel (300 kiam ea.) and commissions (via the college) three scrolls: one containing three Scrying spells (2,100 kiam – 7 min. ea. CL 7), the second containing three Knock spells (450 kiam – CL 3), and the third containing four Reduce Person spells (100 kiam – DC 15, CL 3). |
|
5th |
Zaki receives a message/summons from the temple, informing him that he is to be
promoted to the position of “Vicar Geron” of Corean. The ceremony is to be
held at dawn on the 7th.
Yasmina arranges (through Zafirah) to meet with a member of the thieves guild who can introduce her to a member of the assassins guild. She buys 2 doses of Sundew poison (3,600 kiam). She returns to the college to collect her three scrolls. |
|
7th |
Zaki is ordained “Vicar Geron of Corean” in a lengthy, half-day ceremony. The party
is pleased to find Salah in the congregation. He introduces three friends:
two half-orcs (Gorchak and Mugchuk) and a Rmoahal
(Roegir), all of whom are also Farisi of Corean. The group invites the four
of them back to the villa for lunch. Izdahar heads home ahead of the group,
to make sure the staff prepare sufficient for the larger group.
Yasmina begins a night vigil, scrying on al-Sayid’s villa, in the hope of seeing the door to the in-between in use. |
|
9th | Success. She views the door being opened. She records the sequence on a parchment and retires for the night. | |
12th | The deed is done. Yasmina Dimension Doors into the temple, uses a Knock spell to open the high priestesses cell, and poisons her before she can awaken. She then does the same to the rector (the high priestesses “2nd in command”). After both are paralyzed, she drags the rector into the high priestesses room, closes the doors to both cells; she casts Reduce Person on each victim and stuffs them into the bag of holding. When this is done, she Dimension Doors directly to al-Sayid’s cellar, opens the door to the in-between, and casts the two women into the void. She then closes the door and Dimension Doors as far towards the villa as her spell will reach, walking the rest of the way home. | |
13th | Al-Sayid arrives at the villa after dark and demands to speak with Yasmina alone. A tense 15-minute conversation ensues on the veranda after which al-Sayid leaves. | |
14th | Sauf al-Sahar hosts a dinner party for the “Who’s Who” of Banja. | |
16th |
Early in
the morning, Imam Aleasar Bey (flanked by two Inquisitors of Barid) arrives
at the villa and questions Hakaad & Co. regarding the disappearance of
two senior clergy of the Temple of Barid in Banja. He employs some sort of
“truth field” to detect lies, but hears none. Fortunately for all involved,
Yasmina is not present and thus avoids the interrogation. Bey leaves sullen
and thwarted.
Later that day, Izdahar commissions a masterwork harpsichord for the villa (craftsman?) at a cost of 690 kiam. |
|
17th |
Farid
completes his adamantium long sword.
The elders of the Temple of Corean request that Zaki and Farid represent Corean at the ordination of a new faris into the Order of Holy Sentinels at the Citadel of St. Haroun. Located near the small village of Shahmirzad, the citadel is situated on the lip of “The Tear”, overlooking the Kutaiba Rift. This fortress houses the Demonshield, an artifact which keeps the Tear (a conduit to the Abyss) sealed, as long as it is manned by one of the Holy Sentinels. |
|
18th | The party leaves for Shahmirzad. | |
23rd | The party arrives at Shahmirzad. | |
24th | The ceremony is interrupted by a massive demon attack. The battle of the Citadel of St. Haroun begins. | |
25th |
The battle
ends late in the day. A brief but terrifying visitation from Dispater comes
to the party near the end of the battle.
As a token of gratitude for helping to defend the citadel, Izdahar is gifted a copy of al-Azraki’s Demonic Taxonomy by the author, Malik al-Azraki. |
|
26th | The party departs Shahmirzad, to return to Banja. | |
Hed’ash (11) | ||
3rd | The party arrives home in Banja. | |
5th | Party members begin training for new levels. Hakaad commissions a masterwork quiver for Mar’aqutt, to be used to craft an Efficient Quiver for her. | |
7th | Hakaad, Izdahar, and Zafirah pay a visit to al-Sayid to discuss the disturbing appearance of Dispater during the battle of the Citadel of St. Haroun. Upon arriving at her villa, they witness the departure of an apparent celestial who al-Sayid addresses as “Morningstar”. After a brief talk with al-Sayid, the party leaves with little new information to show. | |
13th | Training for the last party members is completed. | |
15th |
Autumn
Equinox. Calipha’s Celebration of Ascension. |
|
18th |
The party
attends a Tournament of Valor at the Temple of Corean. Farid, Mar’aqutt, and
Zaki all participate in the tournament. After multiple single-elimination
matches, Farid is declared Grand Champion and awarded a magic spear named
“True Flight”.
Later, the group meets a local wizardess, Gayda Johara, who asks that they visit her at her residence (tower) that evening. When they arrive, Gayda requests that they covertly deliver a collection of books and a small artifact to a rawuna friend named Zubaidah al-Noor (a member of the mysterious Pipers) for transport to al-Jarii. |
|
19th |
The party arrives at the Magic Carpet, a seedy tavern near the
docks, to meet with Gayda’s friend and deliver the items. They are met by a
Genoshan female fire mage (Zohruna al-Naj) who has slain Zubaidah and taken
her place (using an Alter Self
spell to change her appearance.) After a back and forth, a fight breaks out
between the party, Zohruna, a vicious Genosha fighting woman, four fire
mages, and a dozen Genoshan troops.
With the aid of a small group of Farisi of Uhler, the party manages to slip out the back and take refuge in a nearby abandoned warehouse. Shortly thereafter, the Genoshans discover them and the party escapes again (this time, into the sewers) while the farisi of Uhler fight a rearguard holding action (to their deaths as the warehouse burns down around them.) In the sewers, the party discovers a seemingly impenetrable glass vault, apparently full of treasure, and meets Naji ibn-Othman, Guildmaster of the Ravenclaws (a more secretive offshoot of the thieves’ guild who take a more “Robin Hood” approach to their craft.) Introductions are barely made around when another mage who wants the artifact, Zayd ibn-Zayd, blasts through a wall into the room (with four hell hounds) and launches an overwhelming attack. The party seems barely a match for him when Gayda appears, accompanied by Archmage Ra’id ibn Arrahn al-Zarr, the White Mage of al-Jarii. Together with the party, they make short work of ibn-Zayd. The White Mage takes possession of the books carried by the party. It turns out that one of the books was the real artifact. He and Gayda offer their profound thanks and al-Zarr presents Yasmina with ibn-Zayds Thunderstaff. The party, accompanied by the White Mage, leaves the sewers and head for the temple of Corean, where they spend the night. The White Mage spends a considerable amount of time conferring (in private) with Abdul Massih Saadi, the High Priest of Corean. |
|
20th | The White Mage departs for al-Jarii. The party returns home to the villa. Hakaad takes possession of the masterwork quiver and begins to enchant it for Mar’aqutt. At dinner that evening, the party puts forth various plans to penetrate the treasure-filled “glass vault”. | |
21st |
Hakaad
completes enchanting Mar’aqutt’s quiver. Zafirah commissions a masterwork
composite short bow, built to take advantage of her strength bonus (craftsman?).
It will be ready on 12/21 and will cost 675 SP.
Izdahar takes possession of her harpsichord and has it placed in her private room. A message is delivered to the villa for Hakaad, from al-Sayid. She advises him that she has captured a “Slight” (no details) which is the creature that visited the party camp on 9/4, appearing as al-Sayid. It is being “interrogated”. No further information is forthcoming. |
|
22nd | Hakaad, Yasmina, Mar’aqutt, Ru’yan, Farid, and Yusef ride south of Banja, roughly a day’s travel towards Tabuk. Using his spells, Hakaad raises a 50-foot high, four-story tower, just west of the caravan trail, just to see if he can do it. He succeeds and leaves it there for future travelers to puzzle over. The group spends the night in the new building. | |
23rd | Hakaad & Co. return to Banja, arriving in the early evening. | |
24th | The party returns to the sewers and investigates the glass vault, using various spells to attempt to discern its mysteries. | |
25th |
Using various
spells and magic items, Yasmina penetrates the glass vault and strips it of
all valuable contents for the party. Everything is taken back to the villa,
where it is sorted, counted, and identified. This goes on into the evening.
Just as the party finishes “counting their booty”, the Warlock and Cat arrive unannounced. Cat is very unhappy about something that is about to take place. With little fanfare, the Warlock gathers the party around, conjures with his staff, and transports them to the Banja of one hundred years in the future. The city is engulfed in flames, a lava river courses where the Naher Al-Sarif once flowed, and flakes of fire fall from the sky like snow. The city has clearly been annexed into Hell. When asked what/who did this, the Warlock points at Yasmina and replies, “She did.” After a brief explanation, the Warlock returns the party to their own time. Upon returning, he quickly gathers up Kat (who seems very reluctant to leave so suddenly) and they both vanish, leaving behind a pair of magic circle sand paintings (one large and one smell) that were (apparently) used for the time travel. While the party tries to assimilate the events that have just transpired, there is a blinding flash on the southern horizon (many, many miles beyond the city walls), which fades away to a diming ball of fire. Within moments a hot wind arrives, blowing open the doors of the atrium and obliterating the sand circles on the floor. Some of the sand from the smaller circle (that which was used by Kat) remains, forming the words “SEEK ABANAZAR”. Izdahar knows the tale of Abanazar, the vitrean seer, and relates it to the party. Following the Warlocks declaration of Yasmina's actions precipitating the future events, she flies into a rage, stomps off to her bedroom and loudly throws a fit (along with everything else that’s not nailed down.) After allowing her to vent for a time, Hakaad goes to her and attempts to soothe her. |
|
26th | At breakfast the next morning, the party discusses the events of the night before and, after much heated debate, decides to journey to the oracle Abanazar to seek her wisdom. They spend the rest of the day, and the next two, acquiring supplies for the long trip. | |
Tnash (12) |
||
1st | The party departs Banja, headed north towards Qasser Hilai. They arrive that evening and stay the night at the Lion’s Lair Inn. | |
2nd | The party departs Qasser Hilai, headed north towards Tulkarah. They camp on the road that night. | |
3rd | The party arrives that evening in Tulkarah and stay the night at the Weary Wizard Inn. | |
4th | The party departs Tulkarah, headed north towards Tajiq. In the afternoon, they pass a construction party repairing a stonework bridge over a deep wadi. The work is being done by slave labor, consisting of equal parts human prisoners, undead (zombies mostly), and warforged POWs. Most of the warforged are damaged, some severely, but they still seem to be able to function, in spite of the handicaps. The party camps on the road that night. | |
5th | The party arrives in Tajiq that evening. | |
7th | The party departs Tajiq, headed west towards Tabraqah. They spend the next two nights camping alongside the road. | |
8th | The party arrives in Tabraqah in the evening. They stay at the Sleeping Squirrel Inn. | |
9th | The party departs Tabraqah, heading west for Obari. They camp on the road that night. | |
10th |
The party arrives in Obari in the evening and stay at the Wolf’s Den Inn.
Yasmina’s birthday. She turns 18. |
|
11th | The party departs Obari, heading west towards Rifaa. They spend that night, and the next, on the road. | |
13th |
Mid-morning,
the party is attacked by a giant sand worm. In spite of its size and power,
they make short work of it and sustain no injuries whatsoever. That early
afternoon, they arrive and seek lodging at the Inn of the Silver Lamp.
Rafee, the innkeeper, is delighted to see
them again. As they settle in, he takes Hakaad aside and informs him that the
“little ones” have been asking about him (obviously referring to the kobolds
of Citadel al-Lail aka the Sunken Citadel.) The party
decides to go out and visit them (the distance is only about an hour on
horseback) and, upon their arrival, are warmly greeted by Meepo (now
leader of the tribe) and his people. While there, they learn that the kobolds
have a vast tunnel network all over beneath al-Karag, and actually extend
into Genosha.
Food for thought. |
|
14th | The party departs Rifaa, heading west towards Al-Khafra. They camp on the road that night. | |
15th | In the later morning, the party encounters a janni named Fadil ibn Fadil, who claims to be a rawun among his own people. After a hesitant introduction, he travels along with the party for the remainder of the day, exchanging songs and stories with Izdahar, much to her delight. That even, when the party stops to make camp, he informs them that he is off to explore the night sky, but will rejoin them in the morning. | |
17th | Late in the afternoon, the party encounters a small number of desiccated bodies (people and horses) on the caravan trail. No immediate cause is evident but Mar’aqutt finds footprints that look like they were left by bandaged feet. That night, just before midnight, the party is attacked by eight salt mummies. They are slain without significant injury to the party. | |
18th | Late in the afternoon, the party arrives in Al Khafra. They spend the night at the Wyvern’s Rest Inn. | |
19th |
Mar’aqutt’s birthday. She turns 111.
The party leaves Al Khafra in the morning. After an uneventful day of travel, they arrive in Ahfir and acquire lodging at the Sleeping Sphinx Inn. Mar’aqutt provides sweet treats for the party in celebration of her birthday. |
|
21st | The party arrives in Al Ahmadi and secures lodging at the Shining Arrow Inn. | |
22nd | The party leaves Al Ahmadi. | |
24th | The party arrives at the Naher Al-Buni Bridge into Arak and are stopped by city guards. The city is overrun by refugees from the south and the guards are reluctant to allow still more people into the city. Hakaad badgers their way in and Yasmina guides them to her “home”. She is greeted warmer by Zolika, her father’s housekeeper. With Yasmina’s disappearance and the death of her father, her uncle has assumed possession of the family business and all properties and possessions. Yasmina is not troubled by this and writes her uncle a letter formally transferring ownership to him and wishing him well. She arranges for a number of items of personal value to be collected from the family villa, packed, and shipped home to Banja. | |
25th | Zaki and Farid visit the temple of Corean, and Mar’aqutt visits the temple of D’Shan, to pay homage, tithe, and seek information about events in the south. Few details are forthcoming. Additional supplies are also acquired (at substantially elevated costs.) | |
26th | The party departs Arak, headed south. | |
27th | Mid-morning, the party encounters a mixed group of mid-level bandits (fighter, cleric, sorcerer, and several rogues) posing as “tax collectors”. A fierce, but brief firefight ensues. When the dust settles, one bandit has fled and the rest are slain. The party suffers many and varied injuries, but none that Zaki cannot tend to. | |
28th | The party arrives in Sebata in the early evening. They stay at the Gull & Griffin Inn. | |
Tlata’sh (13) |
||
1st | The party departs Sebata, heading south. After an uneventful day, they camp by the trail. | |
2nd |
Mid-morning,
the party comes within sight of the tiny community of Aqla. They witness the
population (304 men, women, and children) being systematically exterminated
by a heavy platoon of Caliphate soldiers. The party intervenes on behalf of
the villagers; a brief but bloody battle ensues. When the dust settles, half
the villagers are dead (by the soldiers’ hands) and all the soldiers are dead
(by the parties’ hands.)
Yasmina teleports back to Banja, in preparation to jump to Sebata (to purchase wagons and teams for evacuation of the remaining villagers.) While Izdahar helps coordinate the villagers’ preparation to flee their homes, the balance of the party strip the soldiers, and then Hakaad buries them in a stone-capped pit outside the village. The night passes uneasily. |
|
3rd |
In the
morning, Zaki casts Speak with Dead
on the platoon commander, who is then questioned about the disposition of
other troops in the area, how long before this contingent is missed, where
were their next targets, and so on. The party learns that three additional
villages (Tebissa, Salis, and Haydrah) are also to be eliminated. Once the
interrogation is complete, Hakaad disintegrates the body. At that point,
Yasmina returns, with Gayda Johara and Archmage Ra’id ibn Arrahn al-Zarr, the White Mage of al-Jarii. After
brief greetings, al-Zarr selects a small building and creates a Teleportation Circle, though which the
entire surviving compliment of villagers are evacuated. Before they leave,
the White Mage gives Hakaad a bag containing two scroll tubes. Each tube
contains a scroll, and each scroll contains three copies of the Shrink Item spell and inks for
transferring one to a spell book. Once evacuees are gone, the party spends
several hours reluctantly putting all the village structures (and bodies of
the innocent dead) to the torch, to provide the illusion that the soldiers
did their job (so no one will look for survivors.)
When finished, the party travels several miles south of the village site and camps for the night. Yasmina teleports herself and Hakaad back to Banja and spend the night in the villa. Zaki begins using the Remove Scar spell to “unbrand” the soldiers horses. He will do five per day until all are no longer branded. |
|
4th | Yasmina teleports back to the party, while Hakaad stays behind and spends the entire day studying the scrolls, in preparation for learning the Shrink Item spell (and copying it into his spell book.) The party travels south all day (without incident). That evening, after camp is set, Yasmina teleports briefly back to Banja again, and returns with Hakaad (who has successfully learned the Shrink Item spell.) | |
5th | Mid-morning, the party encounters an Angel of Decay and, after the initial shock of the meeting, manages to destroy it. That night, on second watch, Mar’aqutt witnesses a mysterious exodus of many Gargun from the al-Karag. Over one hundred of them appear to have swum across the river and are headed west. The next morning, she relates what she saw to the rest of the party. Several theories are put forth as to the cause, but nothing is determined. Hakaad begins “shrinking” the horses. He will do six per day until all fifty-plus of the soldiers horses are “pocket-sized”. | |
6th |
Late
morning, the party arrives in the tiny village of Tebissa, the next target on
the soldiers “hit list”. After knocking on the door of one of the homes, they
have a brief exchange with a frightened woman inside, who directs them to the
“Farder” just down the street. They present themselves at the indicated
residence and meet an older man with a heavily scarred face and a blind right
eye. After explaining to him that the village must be evacuated (like Aqla),
the man insists that no one will leave and none of the villagers will be
harmed. When pressed for an explanation, he leads them down the street to a
large stone next to the village well. He requests Mar’aqutt to return to the
northern edge of the community and fire an arrow at him from there. Just
before she fires, he places his hand on the stone. To everyone’s amazement,
the arrow shatters prior to crossing into the village proper. When Mar’aqutt
walks up to that point, she encounters a completely solid invisible barrier,
which then dissipates once the man stops touching the stone. Convinced that
the village can (more or less) fend for itself, the party continues on to Ba
Qoubah, arriving two hours later.
To avoid being too conspicuous, the group decides that Yasmina, Zafirah, and Izdahar will enter the town while the rest of the party will herd the horses around the west of the city. The two groups will rejoin on the caravan trail to the south. The three women find little activity outside the city, but upon entering, find it overflowing with humanity. After interacting with a number of locals, Izdahar finds that everyone is afraid to leave. Rumors fly back and forth about dangers both north and south. After picketing the horses south of the city, Zaki and Farid visit the temple of Corean, as they have been tasked by the temple in Arak to find out why no contact has come from Ba Qoubah in several weeks. They discover from the high priest that all divine and arcane attempts to contact temples in other cities have failed completely. Three messengers have been sent north and all have apparently vanished without a trace. After relaying this news to the party, another discovery is made. The ansible is completely non-functional (although, based on Yasmina’s Vatic Gaze, still enchanted.) Yasmina also finds that none of her teleportation-like spells will work. After journeying about two miles south of the city, the ansible begins to function normally. Careful examination moving back towards the city demonstrates that the “damping” effect begins almost exactly one mile from the city gates. Suspecting that some device or agent, centered in the city, is causing the damping field, Mar’aqutt suggests traversing the perimeter of the city, starting away from the river, to see if the effect is circular. After navigating about half a mile clockwise around the city, the group spies a grapefruit-sized metal sphere buried in the ground. After kicking away the dirt, they see that it is tightly covered with all manner of runes and glyphs related to the negation of scrying and arcane travel. It apparently also radiates some kind of fear effect (Hakaad, Izdahar and Sudha are all effected.) Mar’aqutt goes to fetch Farid, taking Izdahar with her. (Zaki, Farid, and Zafirah all remained with the herd of animals prior to this point.) Mar’aqutt returns with Farid who, as a powerful faris, is immune to all effects of fear. At this point, Yasmina teases the sphere into a bag and ties it onto her horse for further examination later. Continuing on around the city, a second identical sphere is discovered roughly two hundred yards beyond the first. After discovering the second sphere, the group returns to their “camp”, whereupon they further examine the bagged sphere. Following some brief experimentation, they determine that it radiates a singular damping field to a distance of roughly 50-feet. Apparently, when used in conjunction with others of its type, the effect is amplified. |
|
7th | In the morning, Zaki casts Commune. Some mysteries are cleared up and other new ones appear. After some discussion, it’s decided that Farid (and Zaki) will attempt the “messenger gambit” to see if they can find out what is happening to the messengers sent north from Ba Quobah. They re-enter the city and spend the night at the temple while the rest of the party (and their herd of 50+ horses) circle the city to the west and make camp just north of town. | |
8th |
Six efreets
ambush Farid and Zaki just north of Tebissa but, with the backup from the
rest of the party, they are defeated. All but one are
killed. The remaining efreeti is persuaded to answer a few questions (four)
in exchange for his release. The party learns little, other than the orders
are coming from “higher-ups” in the City of Brass.
Afterwards, Yasmina teleports to Arak with Farid, to deliver the messages. They return directly and the party moves back south of town. |
|
9th | Another commune is cast. The last three questions are left for personal use. Yasmina finds that her revenge will never be satisfied, Hakaad learns the vision presented by the Warlock was reality (potentially), and Farid learns that his personal prophecy (to slay a great leader) has not yet been fulfilled. The party decides to break camp and continue south on their original mission. | |
11th | Mid-afternoon, the party enters the tiny village of Salis. It is completely evacuated. | |
12th | An hour after breaking camp, the party encounters a single Thanadaemon. He claims he has come to exact revenge for all the demons slaughtered by the party at the battle of the Keep of St. Haroun. He is defeated, but not before he inflicts three negative levels of damage on Farid. | |
13th |
Farid (and
the rest of the party) is relieved to discover that the damage done by the
Thanadaemon is apparently not permanent. The group breaks camp and heads
south. Later in the morning, Hoosha indicates to Izdahar that she has found
something to the east. Following her through a cottonwood ticket (bordering
both sides of a shallow dry wadi), Mar’aqutt and Zafirah spy a huge recumbent
figure roughly 1½ miles east of the caravan trail. Joined by the rest of the
party, they find that this figure is an 80’ tall metal statue/golem/construct,
covered with mystic runes, and completely inert. Hakaad excavates the bulk of
the figure with his sand spells and then the party examines it in detail. The
metal creation certainly predates the War of the Mage-Kings and appears to
have been commissioned at the behest of Nar Devilan. A hidden plate, perhaps
9” in diameter, is discovered on the back of the statues left shoulder. It
will not move for anyone save Hakaad. When he places his hand/palm on it, it
rotates slightly and then comes free. On the flat inner surface, a message is
engraved:
Hakaad keeps the plate. Shortly thereafter, Zafirah finds a hidden hatch in the statues chest. Hakaad “knocks” it open. Inside, at the back of a shallow shaft, a 6” glowing cube is attached to a round metal base. The object is freed from its setting by Yasmina (using the Wand of Disassembly), but the round base cannot be separated from the cube so the group takes the entire combination out.An Identify spell by Izdahar reveals only that it is a flawless quartz cube, but a Legend Lore (also by Izdahar) identifies it as one of the five Formless Wells of Shayar. Hakaad stows this in his backpack as well. Yasmina and Hakaad have a brief, private, and very tense discussion during which she reveals to him that she lost their unborn child during her captivity and torture by the Calipha. After some personal deliberation, Hakaad informs the rest of the party, as the information may be germane to the inscription on the plate. |
|
14th | The party arrives at Dair al-Zour around mid-day, pauses briefly to replenish what supplies they can, and then proceeds out of town. They cross the Naher Al-Buni bridge and continue south on the caravan road. | |
15th |
Shortly
after midnight, while Farid is on watch, he spies an oddly shaped figure
investigating Hakaad’s backpack. It is Figgen. After a brief and typically
disjointed conversation, the group finds that Figgen is only interested in
the mundane metal baseplate for the cube. He effortlessly separates the cube
from its base (something the party as so far been unable to do) and vanishes,
but not before he whispers to Hakaad, “The son also rises.” He
leaves the cube. Later that same morning, a very large sand dragon erupts from the sandy roadbed in front of the party. A frantic battle ensues and the creature is defeated, but not before it almost kills Farid. He (and the other injured party members) are healed, consuming the bulk of Zakis’ healing spells for the day. The party spends most of the day skinning and dismembering the dragon for valuable parts, but are back underway by mid-afternoon. They travel for less than an hour when they spy another dragon (red and airborne) headed their way. Before it can close on them, it abruptly turns 180 and flies away at top speed. The party learns why when a HUGE roc dives onto the dragon, snags it with its claws, and sails off east (presumably to dine on its catch.) Later, it starts to drizzle (with no measureable accumulation.) |
|
16th | Other than passing a few travelers headed north, nothing is encountered during this day. However, after the party has made camp for the night and finished their evening meal, a stranger approaches the camp on foot. Asking only to warm himself by their fire for a brief time, he introduces himself as Oraios. He says that he is a courier, delivering messages for his master. He makes oblique references to Corean, but never by name. He merely advises the group to be aware that some who appear as allies may be enemies, and visa-versa. Eventually, he stands, thanks the group for their warmth and company, and walks off into the night. | |
17th | The day passes uneventfully and the party arrives in Karuk at dusk. They arrange for lodging at the Brass Lizard Inn and stable their horses and pack animals at Kalid’s Stable nearby. Izdahar is delighted to discover that Bakir El Tawîl Tarîq, a famous and well-travelled rawun, is also staying at the inn. She introduces herself, plies him with drinks, and engages him in lively conversation long into the night. Before the war, Bakir was welcome in Genosha and he cannot understand why they would engage so enthusiastically in this conflict, given how devastating it is for their economy (exports of iron and iron-based products in particular.) He comments that Mash’al ibn Munir al-Khalid (“The Whirlwind of Flame”) was rumored to have been “acting strange” prior to the initiation of hostilities; ignoring the counsel of advisors in the Ember Court, talking to himself, not sleeping, and so on. Bakir also notes that the cemeteries in the Caliphate are almost vacant, as the Calipha has been emptying them out to swell the ranks of her undead armies. Izdahar also learns that Bakir traveled near the Valley of Shards many years ago and persuades him to draw a rough map and route from Benshar to the valley. The two trade many additional stories and songs before she finally excuses herself and wanders off to bed. | |
18th | The party leaves Karuk, heading south towards Benshar. The entire day passes w/o incident. | |
19th |
Mid-day,
the party spies a large, golden figure ahead, sitting on a huge rock next the
caravan road. Upon closer approach, they realize that it is a Marut (an
Inevitable from the plane of Mechanus.) It appears to ignore them as they
pass it by gingerly.
Late afternoon, the party enters Benshar. They secure lodging in the Brass Cup Inn and stable their animals nearby (Kated’s? Stables). |
|
20th | The party tops of their provisions (at ruinous prices) and, following Bakirs’ map, strike off into the southern wilderness. | |
21st | The party wakes to rain and it stays with them until well after dusk. | |
22nd | The day passes w/o incident and the party finds a small patch of stone ruins where they make camp for the night. Near the beginning of first watch, the camp is attacked by a mummy lord. Battle is brief as Hakaad disintegrates it. Mar’aqutt and Zafirah track back to its lair nearby, but find nothing of value there. | |
26th |
The party approaches
the Valley of Shards. Late in the day, they encounter a pride of lions, and
other lesser scavengers, feeding on the carcass of a sand dragon. After
scattering the carnivores they examine the corpse and determine that it
sliced itself to pieces attempting to burrow through the obsidian shard-laced
earth. What prompted it to do this is a mystery.
When the party makes camp that even, Hakaad’s Tremorsense registers a faint “thump” from somewhere nearby underground. There is only a single occurrence and no other event follows. Even so, Hakaad creates a slab of salt for the party to camp upon, to help deter any attack from below. |
|
Arbata’sh (14) | ||
1st |
The party
finally reaches the cave of Abanazar, the Vitrian Seer. Upon first entering
the cave, they find nothing but a dead end. Then, gradually, an opening
appears in the back wall of the cavern. This exits the cave onto a hillside
overlooking a small village below. As the party inspects their new
surroundings, a mild and brief earthquake occurs. Almost immediately following
its cessation, billows of smoke begin to rise from the village. The party
races down the hill. By the time they reach the village, the smoke has
subsided to just a few wisps rising from a single incinerated building. The
rest of the village seems completely deserted, save for a single old man, who
sits on a low wall adjacent to the burned building and sucking on a water
pipe. All he will say is “Too late. Too late.” Gradually, as the party
watches, smoke begins to curl up from one of his slippers and shortly, flames
begin to lick up his leg. He seems oblivious to this danger and continues to
watch the party. While the rest of the group stands transfixed, Mar’aqutt
rushes forward with the Canteen of
Endless Water and douses the flames.
“At last,” says the old man, “At last. Someone with compassion has come.” He gestures back up the hill towards the cave. “She will see you now.” The party returns to the cave through the temporary opening (which silently closes behind them) and discovers the obsidian statue of the oracle now sitting in the previously empty cave. Before they can pose a single question, she begins to speak. She offers a long, rambling, and confusing prophecy and then is silent.
Nothing further is forthcoming from her. The party leaves the cavern and returns to their animals, to find a campsite for the night and puzzle over her strange words. |
|
2nd |
Izdahar’s birthday. She turns 18.
The party heads north, per the first part of the oracles instructions. |
|
7th | The party continues north. The grasslands and scrub give way once again to deep desert. The mules are shrunk and packed away, to be replaced by camels more suited to the terrain. | |
10th | Mid-day, the party spies a small low hill with a single dead tree at its summit. They make camp at the western base of the hill and wait for another revelation. | |
11th | In an attempt to decide what to do next, Zaki casts a Divination spell for the party. The message he receives is “Silence is paramount”. Puzzled by this vague instruction, the party elects to remain here until something of note occurs. Mar’aqutt (with Sudha) goes hunting and bags a small antelope (Ibex). Upon her return (from east of the hill), she spies a small opening in a scree slope on the east face of the hill. The rest of the party is notified of this new discovery. While Hakaad remains in camp, studying to learn the Phase Door spell, several of the other party members go to explore what is found to be a very strange metal dungeon-like cavity back into the hill. | |
12th | The group continues to explore the strange, short dungeon. Many discoveries are made, but none that make any sense. Hakaad, using his Xorn Movement spell, circumnavigates the metal dungeon and determines its rough external outline. Zafirah explores one small compartment/chamber (which appears to be sleeping quarters.) She finds some clothing of a very odd style, include strange cloth hat with a patch on the front that has embroidered (but unknown) writing. A comprehension spell determines that the patch reads “M.V. Stahlhammer / ISR 317492”. This means nothing to any of the party members. A Little more is learned. The party increasingly wonders if this is important and should continue to be investigated, or whether it is merely a distraction. | |
13th | This morning, Zaki casts Divination again. This time, the message is “Do not stray from your course.” A short while later, the party is rewarded by a total solar eclipse which briefly reveals a sparkling desert road, starting at the east base of the hill and leading to the eastern horizon, straight as an arrow. As the eclipse passes, so does the sparkling road, but not before Mar’aqutt can firmly fix the directional information in her mind. The party breaks camp and heads east. | |
14th |
Mid-afternoon,
the party comes across is single solitary stone tower in the middle of the
wilderness. 40-feet tall and 30-feet in diameter, it appears to only have two
entrances; a solid oak and iron door at ground level, and an open doorway
from a small balcony roughly 30-feet up the wall. Farid tries to force open
the lower door, but fails, as does a Knock
spell by Hakaad. Hakaad then casts Pillar
of Sand and lifts the entire party (save for Sudha) up to the level of
the balcony. Once they can see the open doorway clearly, they also see, to
their dismay, a glowing blue mystic sigil on its threshold. It is a
Symbol of Death. Most of the party
manages to avert their gaze or resist its necromantic influence, but Zafirah
succumbs to it and dies instantly.
While Zaki returns to the ground to cast Raise Dead on Zafirah, the rest of the party explores the interior of the tower. (A single room with five strange doors; see separate document for details.) Once Zafirah is back with the group, they continue east for a couple more hours before making camp for the night. |
|
15th | The party continues east. About an hour before sunset, the party arrives at a huge basalt wall of rock, extending north and south for miles and covered in countless huge vertical factures. They make camp. | |
16th | Mar’aqutt casts Lay of the Land and finds a direct (more or less) passage through the wall of stone that is large enough to accommodate the party’s mounts and pack animals. The rest of the day is spent transiting a maze of stone. When they emerge on the other side, they find themselves in a ten mile wide bowl of rough terrain, with the ruins of the fabled lost city of Irem at the very center. Unlike the desert beyond the wall, there is water everywhere here and (in the distance) it would appear that parts of the ruined city are inundated with it. The party locates a place of concealment at the edge of the stone maze, make camp, and set watches for the night. | |
17th |
Zaki
relates to the rest of the party that he saw moving lights in the city ruins
during the night on his watch. The party carefully works their way down to
the cities edge. The great wall built long ago to surround the city has
crumbled in many places, but the party chooses to enter at a main
thoroughfare. Once inside, they see rows of huge stone stelae flanking the
boulevard on both sides. Many are shattered, but enough are intact for
Izdahar to read the inscriptions. Each one appears to be dedicated to a
long-dead Kadaran King or Queen. Against the base of one near the inner end
of the row (on the left), they find a long dead body of what appears to have
been an explorer. The only thing of value left on the body (well concealed)
is a small scroll tube. Once opened, they find it contains a fairly detailed
map of the city, although with few labels.
After exploring further into the city, the party encounters (and battles) a party of reptilian humanoids with black scales and large horns on both sides of their skulls. They may be related somehow to black dragons. After the battle is done, the party goes through the bodies and retrieves a large and assorted collection of gear, including a large number of potions (invisibility, cure wounds, etc.) A passing attempt is made at hiding the bodies the party leaves the city and returns to their camp site. Stone Shape and Wall of Salt spells are used to encircle the location, save for a single, narrow, defensible opening. Zaki and Yasmina teleport back to the villa in Banja briefly to secure more spell components (for Raise Dead and so on.) |
|
18th |
The next
morning, on last watch, Zaki quietly wakes the party and advises them that a
large bellicose, eight-legged reptile is sniffing around outside the camp
wall. They quickly determine that the creature is a basilisk. After a brief
tactical counsel, they attempt (and succeed) to lure the thing away by
throwing dates beyond the creature. Each toss is further than the previous
one and the creature, following its stomach, trudges away.
Heading once again down to the city, the party decides this time to circle to the north (clockwise) and enter at a different point. They encounter several (three) black dragonspawn patrols along the way and are able to avoid all but one. They set an ambush and dispatch the patrol with little effort. They discover that, among other martial skills, they can spit acid! Farid is injured rather badly by it, but not enough to force a withdrawal. The patrol is dispatched with alacrity and the party proceeds to a large break in the city wall. Using the recently recovered map, the party makes its way to a central plaza containing several temples (some now in complete ruin) and the great cenote. Along the way, Zafirah spots a great black dragon take to wing from somewhere in the city in the general direction the party is headed. They all hide until it passes. Upon reaching the plaza, they find that one remaining temple is unusually intact. Upon inspection, they determine that all entrances and exits are locked or barred. At what appears to be the main entrance, Hakaad uses a Phase Door spell to pass through the doors, taking Zafirah with him. Once inside, she unlocks the doors for the rest of the party to enter. After passing through a foyer, the party enters a large, circular chamber with a domed ceiling. A great stone statue occupies the center of room. Izdahar determines that this is a likeness of Nintinogga, the Kadaran goddess of healing. Her empty arms are positioned as though she should be holding something, a staff perhaps, but nothing is present. The group explores several nearby antechambers. In one, they discover three of the dragonspawn defacing a mural, and dispatch them forthwith. Beyond the great chamber, a smaller circular room reveals a spiral staircase which descends into the earth. After traversing it ninety vertical feet, the group exits into a long hall with alcoves and side passages, and sections of the floor that are broken away leaving only darkness below. At the far end, one side chamber reveals a pair of dragonspawn directing a clay golem which is slowly cranking a large wheel which, in turn, is lowering a chain through a hole in the floor. Battle commences. The golem and one of the dragonspawn are defeated. The other escapes. In another room, they find what appears to be a sewer pipe punched up through the floor. It leads down at a steep, but not impassable, angle. The party heads down and, after almost 200 vertical feet, they exit into an area that appears to have once been a small tavern, but the structure is not completely inverted; floors are now ceilings and ceilings are floors. As a further oddity, the rooms seem to be populated by the (inverted) ghosts of former employees and customers (including ghostly inverted furniture!) They all go about actions as though they were still alive and completely ignore the party. An inverted fireplace suggests that the now downwards facing chimney is the path to follow. Sudha goes into a handy haversack to make the descent. He is not happy about it. A difficult (vertical) 120-feet later, the party comes out into a damp natural cavern area. Exploration of it reveals a small slippery natural drain in one alcove and another area that adjoins what appears to have been a street of former artisan’s shops back when they were on the surface. Those still identifiable appear to have once been a bakery and a bookshop. The few books and scrolls remaining in that latter location are mildewed and rotted with age; they disintegrate to the touch. From further down the street comes the roar of a waterfall. Upon investigation, the party discovers a cataract of water flowing from mounded rubble of what was once another store front, after which it races down the street, curving around another building before plunging over shattered marble steps and into a huge dark void. In a room adjacent to the book shop, the party discovers the ghost of a sage. He introduces himself as Ossamis and informs them that he has vowed to answer one last question before he departs to the afterlife. After much deliberation, the party decides to ask, "What is the most direct path, including traps, guardians and major obstacles, to get to the current resting place of Drendar's Voice, also known as Timorin's Mechanical Sage?" The sage replies, "Before the fall of my beautiful city, before Seyraxonure made her lair surrounded by the ruins of Irem...Return to the pipe chamber. There is a sinkhole which descends a great distance. It will take you to the level that houses the device that you seek. Beware, the way is treacherous. At the bottom you will be in an upended chapel. Exit the door and follow the main passageway. You will reach a fork. Follow the water upstream until you reach a large chamber. There are two waterfalls. Cross the chamber to large doors on (illegible). Go down the hall to another chamber. There is a fearsome guardian, Seyraxonure, a very old black dragon. She is perilously jealous of her hoard. I encourage you not to divert from your path, for there are many dangers below." The party returns to the natural drain to continue their descent. Sudha goes back in the haversack. He is not amused this time either. The slippery limestone tube is narrow, treacherous, and (for the most part) vertical. After a hair-raising 380-foot descent, the party reaches an inverted funnel-shaped chamber with three uniformly odd openings in the floor. They appear to be windows at the back (now top) of a former temple or chapel that has been upended. The remains of the shrine/altar is now a crumpled ruin 60-feet away on the far wall (now floor) of the structure. About 40-feet up one side of the wall is an opening that was apparently the original entrance to the temple when it was in its original orientation. Using ropes and spellcraft, the party negotiates their way over to the opening. They find themselves in a 10-foot by 10-foot sideways corridor that extends 20-feet, whereupon it opens into a 20-foot, roughly cubic chamber with a crumbled opening in the far wall. The omnipresent sound of rushing waterfalls is much closer. Judging this location about as defensible as any they are likely to find, the party prepares to take a much needed rest, but not before Yasmina teleports Mar’aqutt and Sudha back to the horse camp where they leave Sudha (for his own protection.) They then teleport back to the party, after which a watch is set and all the others sack out. That night, those on watch hear a small patrol of dragonspawn approaching outside the as yet unexplored passage through the rubble. The whole group prepares for battle, but the patrol stops outside and then shuffles away, apparently discomfited by the lingering presence of the ruined temple behind the party. They return to sleep with difficulty. |
|
19th |
The “next
morning”, the party squeezes through the passageway in the rock fall to find
a 20-foot wide passage (right-side up, for a change) that extends 75-feet to a
fork. There is no ceiling, but rather a low-hanging layer of “clouds” 40-50
feet overhead. This is apparently a somewhat less damaged part of the city
and the humidity of the area has formed a cloud-like layer of mist in the
huge cavern above.
The thunder of what sounds like a large nearby waterfall makes conversation difficult. Upon reaching the fork, the party realizes that the shape of the fork is like that of a letter ‘Y’, with them coming down from the right top to approach the junction of the three lines. They also discover a swiftly moving watercourse racing in from the left (to them) branch and rushing out the other branch, only to leap over the edge of a huge crevasse in the floor to disappear into a pitch-black abyss. The stream occupies the center 10-feet of the 20-foot wide corridor, so the party is able to move gingerly (and single-file) down the left “bank” of the left branch. Following the instructions of the ghostly sage from the day before, they slowly move forward, whereupon they encounter a 10-foot deep alcove in the left wall, that extends 20-feet ahead. In the back of the alcove are a huge set of brass double doors, covered by lichens and almost black with age. Focused on their mission, the party presses ahead towards what sounds like a huge steam leak but is, in fact, the speech of a dragon! Moving cautiously forward, the party negotiates another 50 feet of corridor before it opens out into a huge circular plaza. There, dozens and dozens of dragonspawn prostrate themselves before a massive black dragon, who in turn hisses instructions to a single dragonspawn kneeling before it. The party retreats back to the alcove of brass doors to decide a course of action. Given that the plaza appears to be near the far side of the cavern, Hakaad decides that he will scale the wall to a location (more or less) directly above the dragon and attempt (using Stoneshape) to detach a large enough block of stone that will fall on the dragon (either mortally wounding it or killing it outright.) Using a combination of Spider Climb and Invisibility, he begins his ascent. After several minutes of this, the dragon finishes speaking, after which the single dragonspawn in the van stands, turns to the others and cries, “Let the search begin!” The other dragonspawn stand, break into smaller groups and disperse to carry out their orders. There is a CRACK!, followed by a WHOOSH!, and a huge stone fragment slams into the plaza floor, barely missing the dragon, but crushing several unfortunate dragonspawn. There is a moment of silence; then the dragon crouches, spreads its wings, and launches itself straight up through the cloud layer. Pandemonium reigns among the dragonspawn. They scatter, with half-formed intent, like ants who have just had their hill kicked over. Those in the party who can understand the spitting, hissing language of the dragonspawn can hear cries of, “Find him! Tell him that the mistress has been attacked!” The party has no idea who “him” is, but fear that it may be a second black dragon A small group of dragonspawn dashes down the corridor, straight towards the party. Chaos ensues. Zaki freezes three of the lizards with a spell emulating the breath of a silver dragon. All the rest, save one, are slain by a combination of melee and close range weapons from the party. The remaining dragonspawn flees back the way he came. In an attempt to make headway towards the dragons’ horde, the party tries to jump the rushing water. Zaki and Izdahar both fail and are swept away by the current. Mar’aqutt manages to throw a rope to Izdahar, but Zaki is already beyond reach. Yasmina Dimension Door’s further downstream and manages to catch him before he reaches the falls. Zafirah runs down the side of the hall, but arrives too late to assist Yasmina. After Zaki has a chance to catch his breath, the three of them hike back to rejoin the party. At the same time, Hakaad uses Xorn Movement to travel through solid rock back to the party and emerges next to Farid, Izdahar, and Mar’aqutt. Hurrying back to the plaza, before the dragonspawn can get organized, the party notices the source of the rushing stream. Two waterfalls, one at either end of the plaza, dump watercourses onto the plaza floor. Those flow to meet (from left and right) in the center of the plaza. They join and a slight downwards slope in the plaza floor causes the combined volume to run towards the party’s current position and on down the corridor. The party (still minus Yasmina, Zafirah, and Zaki) splashes through the right-hand tributary (more shallow and less forceful than the earlier one) to reach the far side of the plaza. As they reach it and begin up a broad set of steps, yells draw their attention. Appearing from a broad side passage close to the furthest falls are several of the dragonspawn, accompanied by a large, floating, one-eyed sphere with many smaller eye-stalks sprouting from its top… A BEHOLDER! Farid rushes the monster, sword held high, as Mar’aqutt began volleying arrow after arrow at the creature. The beholder, in turn, unleashes rays from two of its eye-stalks. The first strikes Farid, but (for whatever reason) it fails to affect him. The second strikes Hakaad and he is instantly transformed into a motionless stone statue. Yasmina, Zafirah and Zaki arrive at the mouth of the corridor just in time to witness this hideous transformation. Yasmina spins towards the beholder, screams, “BASTARD!” and, in a flash of grief and rage, hurls a pearlescent grey beam of energy (Disintegrate spell) at it. The beam strikes the surprised beholder and it is instantly transformed into a thin cloud of dust that gently blows away on the damp breeze. Zaki hurries to the Hakaad statues side and applies Stone Salve to it. The stone changes back to flesh and Hakaad is restored. The party, now complete again, hurries to the top of the stairs, into a side passage (20-feet wide and 90-feet long) which leads to their destination. They exist the passage into a dimly-lit circular and domed chamber, 100-feet wide, which is almost entirely occupied by a pool of dark, oily water. There is an overgrown pair of doors in the far wall, directly across the pool. They have clearly not been opened in centuries. Puzzled at the absence of any dragon horde, the party then recalls that black dragons like water and can remain submerged for very long periods. The disappointing conclusion they reach is that the horde is most likely at the bottom of the pool. A roar from the far end of the recently-traversed passage tells the party that the black dragon has returned. As it squeezed into the passage to close on the party, Hakaad and Farid step forward to meet it. The dragon spits a massive jet of acid at them which, to the utter amazement of the party, harmlessly washes over Hakaad. Farid is not so lucky, but is able to tolerate the burning jet enough to throw his spear, True Flight, at the beast. Mar’aqutt casts an accuracy spell on some kind on the dragon and then begins pin-cushioning it with arrows. As Yasmina dives into the pool, in an attempt to locate the dragon horde, the rest of the party lays into the attack on the dragon. The huge reptile, realizing to its dismay that it may be over-matched, casts a Darkness spell and frantically attempts to back out of the passage. The party, with Farid, Hakaad, and Mar’aqutt in the van) follow and finish the dragon off just as if finally frees itself from the far end of the passage. After a brief pause to regain their breath (and for Zaki to treat injuries), the party hurries to gather what spoils they can. While Zafirah and Yasmina make multiple dives in the pool to recover the dragon horde, other party members skin the dragon (and relieve it of its horns and teeth.) When finish and everything is gathered up, Yasmina teleports the party and loot back to the horse camp. The horses are none too happy with the sudden dragon musk that wafts from the fresh hide, but Sudha is delighted to see Mar’aqutt again and “cleans” each of the party members in turn as he welcomes them all back. The party then takes some down time to rest and go through the dragon horde. |
|
20th |
The party stays
in camp for the day, resting and recovering. The loot from the dragon’s horde
is counted and examined. The party discusses what to ask of Drendar’s Voice
and then asks their first question:
“What direction should we travel for the next leg of our quest?” to which the artifact replies: TRAVEL TO WORLDS END Hakaad uses Shrink Item on six of the pack animals and horses. |
|
21st |
In the
morning, Hakaad uses Shrink Item on
the rest of the mounts. Once done, Yasmina teleports the entire party (in two
trips) back to the villa in Banja. The rest of the day is spent unpacking,
cleaning gear, resting, and going on to small errands.
Yusef takes Hakaad aside and tells him that, roughly four weeks earlier (while the party was away), a stranger came calling. He dressed as an al-Badia, was accompanied by a large desert lion, and inquired about Farid and Mar’aqutt, wishing to speak with both of them. He has not returned since that visit. Hakaad relates this information to Farid and Mar’aqutt. Hakaad later discusses with Yusef the possibility of engaging the services of a “broker” to help liquidate much of the myriad of esoteric magic items the party has acquired over time, but doesn’t really want or need. Hakaad then instructs Yusef to seek such an individual and, if possible, determine their reliability before soliciting their service. Izdahar visits the college and, for a 1 Dinar fee, spends the day researching the Kahliopsis, maps that show the Edge of the World, and the Mistmantle. |
|
23rd | The party inquires of the mechanical sage as to the source of the Genosha-Caliphate War. They learn that “Gyddirian of Ranthamboor” is behind everything. | |
28th | Hakaad sends a messenger to al-Sayid, requesting a meeting. In a reply, she agrees. That evening, Hakaad and Yasmina visit al-Sayid’s villa, where Hakaad inquires whether or not she (al-Sayid) can arrange a meeting with the head of the city thieves’ guild. She indicated she can and will arrange for one in the near future. | |
Quddam ali Shati |
Festival day.
Hakaad takes Yasmina on a shopping spree, with Farid along as a “body guard”.
Over the course of the day, they visit numerous fine shops. Yasmina is fitted
for a formal dress in embroidered white silk, with a high (Mandarin) collar,
and many small emeralds stitched in the designs (130 kiam). At upscale jewelers,
she acquires a gold chain necklace
from which depends a large pear-cut emerald (200 kiam) and a matching gold
bracelet with seven small emeralds (150 kiam). They complete the day by
purchasing for her an assortment of scented soaps from a fine chandlers shop.
As the day is midwinter’s eve, the mood in town is festive and is capped off by an impressive fireworks display (half alchemical, half magical) launched from the emirs palace. The party attends the Emir’s mid-winters party (by invitation). Mar’aqutt and Farid arrive on horseback (celestial mount, in Farid’s case) and the rest of the party arrives via Yasmina’s teleport. Kat is also seen attending. |
1499 | ||
Arbata’sh (14) | ||
20th | “What direction should we travel for the next leg of our quest?” |
“Travel to worlds end.” |
23rd |
“Who is responsible for starting the Genosha-Caliphate War?” |
“Gyddirian of Ranthamboor.” |
1500 |
||
Wahid (1) | ||
2nd | (Paraphrase) who is the source of the rumor maligning Sauf al-Sahar and Hakaad in particular. |
“Man never in Banja.” |
4th |
“What creature guards the Flaw?” |
“Jabberwock.” |
17th |
“What is the current location of the individual responsible for
introducing the false rumors about Sauf al-Sahar?” |
“Royal palace, Shadazar”. |
18th |
“What is the name of the person responsible for initiating the
slander of Sauf al-Sahar and Hakaad al-Rimal in particular?” |
“Denash ibn Denash”. |
19th |
“Does Nasir bare anyone in the party ill-will?” |
“No”. |
20th | “What vulnerabilities do the H’Laqu have?” | “Usual methods are limited.” |
21st | ““When did the H’Laqu first arrive in Barr al-Fadi?” | “Wahid 22, 1499.” |
22nd | “Where did the H’Laqu first arrive?” | “Kahliopsis.” |
23rd | “Why have the H’Laqu come to Barr al-Fadi?” | “Target of opportunity.” |
24th | “Just as fiends of the realms below are harmed unduly by silver and cold iron, is there any material of our world that causes the H’Laqu more pain than mere steel?” | “Mundane weapons especially effective.” |
25th | “In the eyes of the lord of Hell who believes us to be his servants, when did our servitude begin?” | “Wahid 10, 1499.” |
26th | “How do we find the lair of the H’Laqu that is in or around Dharm?” | “Seek Temple of Hallah.” |
27th | “What is the most dangerous foe that we could potentially encounter between here and the Temple of Hallah?” | “There are numerous liches.” |
28th | “Would it be possible for Sauf al-Sahar to negotiate with the residents of Dharm for safe passage to the Temple of Hallah?” | “Most emphatically, yes.” |
Tnain (2) |
||
1st | “With which entity should we negotiate to best insure safe passage through Dharm to the Temple of Hallah?” | “Contact Azhaven the necromancer.” |
3rd | “Does diplomacy or negotiation with the very large being just outside of this tunnel have a reasonable chance of success?” | “No one is home.” |
4th | “What is the best method available to us to destroy the violet swirling vortex in the crater?” | “Destroy the farside projector.” |
8th | “Are the recent events we have experienced in Sigil a deliberate attempt to thwart us from achieving our goals?” | “No.” |
10th | “What is the creature known as the Keeper of the Eye, in the valley of Leska, on the plane of Grysimbryl?” | “Aboleth Savant.” |
11th | “Where is the eye located in this cavern system?” | “You’re standing on it.” |
Last updated on 10 November 2014.