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Post by Zaim al-Daleel on Jul 15, 2009 22:31:43 GMT -7
PCs Waleed the scholar Ya'qub the merchant
NPCs Sahra - Ya'qub's wife Mamoun - Waleed's servant Jaheira, Wudei'a, Najiba - Waleed's bodyguards Shabab Eblis - Bright Dancer's young captain Adila - bearer of the curse Shari - erstwhile guard from the Ministry of Secrets Saleh - slave of the ring Rasool - Sailer under the charm of Taj the serpent -- 25th of Saris
Rasool furrowed his brow, unruly eyebrows meeting above his nose like two amorous caterpillars. His was the final watch and the jungle was awakening around him. His sleeping companions were still just shapes in the darkness but as the night lightened toward gloom they became recognizable. He studied them to pass the time.
The merchant Ya'qub and his wife, there... the woman with her head on his chest. Fortune seemed to follow the man with a frequency rivaled only by danger.
And there, the ridiculous scholar lying near the woman Adila... the young man probably thought he was her protector. Ha! The woman handled a knife like a butcher and slept as lightly as a cat.
The one called Waleed could have been confused for a pile of boulders, actually had been when Rasool began his watch. At Waleed's feet the young servant Mamoun was curled around his scimitar and snoring lightly... a dog at his master's table hoping for scraps. No doubt the boy hoped for one of the sweet plums curled protectively around his master.
Rasool's eyes lost their focus as his simple imagination latched on to the idea. His caterpillar eyebrows danced and a crooked grin broke through his thick beard. Hmmm... Plums.
Finally the gloom was chased away by an unseen sun rising beyond the canopy of the jungle. Rasool stood, stretched, and scratched.
The merchant's wife was sitting up. Quietly she began to prepare a breakfast from their meager supplies.
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Post by Zaim al-Daleel on Aug 12, 2009 16:36:39 GMT -7
Few words were exchanged over breakfast.
"Maybe we should just..." Shari began. He was going to suggest walking back to the Freshwater Pearl but just the thought of walking for two weeks made him tired. He went back to gnawing on a strip of dried fish.
Waleed stood when he saw that everyone was ready to travel. He summoned Saleh.
The efreet poured as molten gold from Waleed's hand, puddling into a flaming pool containing the rippling visage of the efreet.
"I serve," boomed the voice of Saleh. "until I am able to return what I have stolen. Ask what you will."
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Post by Waleed on Aug 13, 2009 0:55:58 GMT -7
Waleed bowed courteously, "Saleh, please return all of us and our gear back to the ship if you could. I know the trip is tiresome, so when you are properly rested, please join me at my table tonight for dinner." Waleed bowed as appropriate again and awaited Saleh's instructions.
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Post by Zaim al-Daleel on Sept 3, 2009 19:36:14 GMT -7
Saleh's head rose up through the flaming pool, the molten gold running in rivulets down his fearsome visage.
"I serve, Prince."
Fed by the flowing gold the efreeti's body took shape beneath it's massive head. Heat radiated from him not unlike the desert sands at midday. In seconds he was fully formed and kneeling before you. As before you climbed upon his shoulders, shrinking until you could walk with ease.
As Saleh stood, the jungle around you fell like a burning curtain revealing a charred land that emerged from the waves of a sea of fire. The chain that bound him to Waleed reappeared.
Striding off along the rocky shore, Saleh breathed deep the smoky air.
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Post by Waleed on Sept 4, 2009 20:33:15 GMT -7
Waleed held his girls close and asked Saleh, "What is this place we travel through, the elemental plane of fire?"
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Post by Zaim al-Daleel on Sept 5, 2009 20:09:25 GMT -7
"We walk the borderlands between the planes of fire and earth," replied Saleh, his voice a rumble like distant thunder. Not pausing in his stride, the efreeti pointed toward the burning sea on your right.
"Elemental fire is there, beyond the Sea of Ignus. Here," the giant said, stamping a mighty foot into the rocks. Up spewed a choking spray of earth and dust. "Here, the veil is thinnest."
Through the dust you see the Freshwater Pearl at anchor. Saleh steps through into the river. The moist jungle air is as wine.
You step from the giant's shoulder to his hand and he deposits you on the deck amid the scrambling sailors.
"I tire," Saleh said, though his statement seemed more a farewell than an expression of his physical condition. He faded to smoke that was carried away on the wind.
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Post by Waleed on Sept 6, 2009 13:33:17 GMT -7
"Thank you Saleh!" Waleed calls out as the efreet fades away. Turning to the rest, Waleed briefly tells the tale of what has happened, then asks the rubban to get underway. In a whisper he asks Ya'qub, "Um, where are we going now?"
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Post by Zaim al-Daleel on Sept 10, 2009 13:11:33 GMT -7
Ya'qub's reply was preempted by Rasool's excited announcement, shouted enthusiastically from his perch on the rail:
"We sail for the coast of Bahr al-Izdiham! "
The cheers that rang out testified of the toil of the upriver journey; the sailors aboard the Freshwater Pearl were ready to return to sea.
"Back to work you boil ridden goat herders!" the young captain yelled. He cuffed a pair of dancing sailors and delivered a swift kick to the rear of another before turning his wrath toward Rasool.
"Unless you've replaced me as rubban, and you haven't, leave the navigation to me or I'll have you on half rations Rasool."
Chastened, the sailor begged pardon and hastened off to his duties.
"Well then," Shabab Eblis said. "So we're taking a draft of holy water to some 'leaning towers' near the coast." He thumped a fist down on the rail contentedly. "We'll make good time back to Dhiliz..." His gaze lost its focus as he pondered some private thought or another.
"Not a day too soon," he muttered.
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Post by Waleed on Sept 15, 2009 13:54:43 GMT -7
Waleed noted the sense of urgency in the Rubban and tactfully asked the captain, "Is everything alright, Rubban? Will there be enough to pay the crew and replenish the ship after the shares of the treasure are doled out, which I'm sure Ya'qub will garner the best price for on the open market."
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Post by Zaim al-Daleel on Oct 8, 2009 7:03:08 GMT -7
"More than alright, Master Waleed! We're sailors, not rivermen. Give me a year in the turbulent seas over a day in this tranquil river. Give me the wheel of the Bright Dancer and a salty breeze and I will be content."
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Post by Waleed on Oct 20, 2009 2:03:17 GMT -7
"Very good," replied Waleed, "how about you Ya'qub, everything alright?"
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Post by Ya'qub on Oct 20, 2009 14:37:33 GMT -7
"I, too, look forward to the deck of my father's ship beneath my feet. Mayhap we shall soon see the end of Adila's curse."
The balding merchant's brow furrowed as he calculated the costs of the journey thus far.
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Post by Zaim al-Daleel on Oct 20, 2009 20:16:50 GMT -7
The river ship raced downriver when released from its anchorage against the current, nosing through the water like a camel returning to the oasis.
"Inspectors will board us," Shabab pointed out as Dihliz grew near. River traffic was growing thick with fishermen and traders. "The ivory they will tax. The antiquities... those they may confiscate and send to the Ministry of Secrets for inspection. Use your judgment on which items you declare."
The captain motioned with his head to the sailors working the deck. "Earnest men mostly, and hardworking. But simple, and likely to talk once they hit the shore. No good to claim it was a trading mission only. Consider offering up an antiquity or two for inspection and pay the tax. To claim no treasure would be suspicious."
The heat of the early afternoon was stifling and the sparse clouds offered no respite as you slipped past the outskirts of Dihliz. Rounding a bend in the river, the long docks of the great city spooled out before you. There, riding high in the river, the Bright Dancer was docked--freshly painted and outfitted with new white sails fastened down to her masts.
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Post by Zaim al-Daleel on Dec 2, 2009 17:36:36 GMT -7
The ivory was taxed, but not beyond reason once the inspector palmed a small bribe from Shabab. Inspection of the proffered scrolls was cut short when Shari approached and offered to "take it from here."
Recognizing Shari as a Ministry of Secrets functionary, the inspector shrugged and left the ship.
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Post by Waleed on Dec 3, 2009 19:31:59 GMT -7
"And what will you tax us Minister Shari?" Asked Waleed, tongue in cheek.
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Post by Zaim al-Daleel on Dec 4, 2009 9:50:39 GMT -7
"Oh!" Shari started, waving his hands and shaking his head. "I'm not actually a minister there, just a guard... Ah. You are joking."
He smiled, then pulled his glasses off and tapped them thoughtfully against his chin. "Standard fee in an instance such as this... Taking into account the age of said antiquities... I'd say the fee is passage aboard an ocean bound vessel for one Ministry of Secrets official."
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Post by Zaim al-Daleel on Dec 4, 2009 9:52:21 GMT -7
Five days later you stand in the shadow of the Leaning Towers. Barely visible through the trees behind you, the Bright Dancer waits at anchor beyond the white sands sweeping down to the rolling waves of Bahr al-Izdiham--the Crowded Sea. Footprints in the sand trace your path from two row boats pulled up from the low rolling surf.
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Post by Waleed on Dec 8, 2009 1:04:53 GMT -7
"Okay, I guess we have some holy water to deliver, let us make way." With that said, Waleed leads the group onward into the towers, but ever wary of any traps or hidden enemies.
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Post by Zaim al-Daleel on Dec 9, 2009 6:39:28 GMT -7
The tower is practically engulfed by the jungle. Nine massive towers, once tall and majestic, are cracked and corroded by the merciless humidity. Several spires lean dangerously to the side, threatening to topple at the slightest touch.
A few rivets and bands are all that remain of once massive doors. You pass though the entryway into a darkness alive with the writhing, hissing serpents. Speaking to Waleed they guide you inside and downward into the cellars.
Ya'qub lights the way with a small flaming orb.
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Post by Zaim al-Daleel on Dec 9, 2009 6:42:12 GMT -7
Beneath the ruins, in a cavernous cellar, you find Sharamaaz. Unlike her father, Sharamaaz's face is young and beautiful, her serpentine body white as snow. A diamond talisman glows brightly in her forehead. She is attended by a host of servants.
"Welcome."
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Post by Zaim al-Daleel on Dec 10, 2009 13:09:03 GMT -7
"Thank you, proud lions, for undertaking my father's pilgramage."
Slithering forward to Waleed she lowers her head, the large diamond pulsing behind thin locks of hair. When Waleed raised the talisman he carried, a light flared from one stone to the other. Slowly the light within Waleed's stone then faded to nothing, leaving behind a lifeless gem.
Sharamaaz slowly raised up, tears in her eyes falling past a triumphant smile. She slumped down slowly beside you. Soon her body was hidden behind a living blanket of serpents.
"She is reliving the memories of her father and those of his ancestors before him," Taj explained. "She'll be unconcious for quite a while."
"Turn up the lights a bit, Ya'qub." Shari said. "There's something written on the wall." He stood to one side straining to see.
As Ya'qub feeds the fire in his hand, you see inscriptions cover nearly every inch of the stone walls around you.
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Post by Zaim al-Daleel on Dec 10, 2009 15:42:57 GMT -7
Waleed determines that most of the inscriptions are some type of magical wards. Against what he's unsure.
"Look at this..." Shari began, brushing dust from some engravings with his hand, highlighting strange words interspersed in between the wards. They were similar to the writings on the back of Adila's clay seal.
"Its written in Kadari. Judging by the placement, style, wear... no doubt during the same epoch as the wards. Let's see..." said Shari, leaning into his work.
"Our proud lions vanquished here, Sorrow for our fallen friends. Eight of nine we'll never fear, Buried where the walls descend.
Our proud lions come once more, Sorrow for their fallen friends. Ninth of nine will fear restore, When in Tadabbur descend."
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Post by Waleed on Dec 11, 2009 23:14:08 GMT -7
"hmm, so Adila is the ninth, and she'll restore fear when she descends into Taddabur. Well, sounds to me we shouldn't allow that, should we? But then again, what will fear her? Us or something, evil."
ooc: it's been so long, where is taddabur again?
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Post by Waleed on Dec 13, 2009 17:59:22 GMT -7
"We need to find this Taddabur. Perhaps Sham here can help us once she's relived her father's memories, what do you think Taj and Ya'qub?"
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Post by Ya'qub on Dec 14, 2009 18:36:52 GMT -7
"I am willing."
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Post by Zaim al-Daleel on Dec 18, 2009 15:05:29 GMT -7
Taj lacked the shoulders required to shrug, but the tone of his voice suggested it. "I know not."
After a few hours exploring the ruins, you hear Rasool calling from his post in the shadowy doorway leading down to the cellar. "She awakens! Taj tells me so."
You hasten back down and stand before the strange creature. She thanks you again, showering you with praise for your valiant accomplishments.
"Esteemed Waleed, while bearing the talisman you've understood the serpent tongue. This language is yours to keep as is the gem itself. The truth of all things are seen through it."
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Post by Zaim al-Daleel on Dec 18, 2009 15:26:53 GMT -7
"There is little else I have to give for the rest of you," Sharamaaz said. "But there is something. I can tell you what I know of the riddle on the wall."
She slides forward and after rereading it she coils up comfortably, head lowered down to your eye level.
"It was written by Imam Suhail centuries ago. Him and the other lions had defeated the Nine Council of the Geomancers, but one had escaped. The 'Ninth of Nine' according to Kadaran legends, descended into a secret fortress, called Tadabbur, and was never seen again..."
A string of shouts tore the quiet around you. Ya'qub flared his light. Behind you a glassy-eyed Adila shouts in the strange Kadari tongue.
Shari chews his fingers nervously and translates: "Wake up! Wake up! The nine-fold stars have fallen. Waken, Lions of Tomorrow, for the gates of Tadabbur are thrown open."
Adila stood slack jawed as the echoes died away. Noticing everyone staring, she sobbed and collapsed into Shari's arms.
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Post by Zaim al-Daleel on Dec 18, 2009 16:25:13 GMT -7
Shari held Adila, doing his best to console her. Angrily she pulled the seal from her robes and cast it clattering into the darkness. She shrieked in frustration when it appeared on her lap a moment later.
Leaving the sobbing girl to Shari's care, you followed Sharamaaz to one side. At her prompting you presented her father's brain and the holy water from the temple. Under her guidance, masses of serpents gathered two ceramic bowls, an iron knife, six ordinary arrows, and six empty vials, all carried like boats on the crests of waves. Then using the knife in her teeth, the serpent queen split the halves of the brain into separate bowls. Next she poured the holy water over each, all the time speaking strange words of magic.
When the ceremony was complete, all that remained in each bowl wass a clear crystal liquid. Sharamaaz emptied the contents of one bowl into the empty vials. "To heal your bodies..." she hissed, her eyes blazing with magical intensity. She poured the contents of the other bowl over the six arrows. "and to slay the segarran."
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Post by Waleed on Dec 22, 2009 15:21:07 GMT -7
"Segarran?"
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Post by Zaim al-Daleel on Dec 23, 2009 9:55:40 GMT -7
"The minions of Ragarra, the ancient, evil goddess of the jungle, typhoons, and revenge," Sharamaaz replied.
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