City of Brass: Author Playtest Notes

Warning, Spoilers Ahead

Further Warning: GM's eyes only... this means YOU!
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In other words seriously, if you don't want the fun of COB ruined by listening to prattle about the adventures of the playtest group for COB skip this thread. Don't read it, and if your a player only seriously! DO NOT READ THIS!


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Seriously... Nomylus Al Kabith is Watching!


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Ok. For obvious reasons as I detail some sessions from the game I will abreviate somewhat. Partly because I don't want to spoil any DM's run of this game by trying to replicate our sessions exactly, and partly because my notes are in places incomplete. I'm a pretty busy guy after all!


Background
Our sessions started roughly 20 months prior to publication when I was in the newly opened Black Lion Games in Wichita Kansas one day. Knowing the proprietor from a previous game shop, he asked how the progress was on COB and wondered how/when it would be in his shop. I told him at the time that I wasn't sure (true) but that the MS had been turned in for some time with the exception of a few tweaks but that I wouldnt mind some players familiar with high level faire to give it a milk run and see if it played as I thought it would. A couple weeks later I get a call and the guys who hang at the store are eager to play COB before it comes out!

I make arrangements for a game night and its all set. I email everyone a document on a 34 point buy (which everyone disreguarded) and get emails on "whats allowed" and "what isn't" from most of the crew. One of my personal friends and gaming buddies here-to referred to as Sam Quinton tells me he wants to join but has to wait till his current college semester is over.

We start the sessions with:

Rhy: 12th level fighter... armor and bastard sword specialist: Lawful Neutral (This character's armor class is the epitome of what I dislike about 3.5 splat book shennanigans, but I allow it because I know many will play COB with full use of all WOTC products and am up to testing the Scott/Case design hypothesis)

Konn: Mul (darksun, website based vs. dragon mag based.) Monk3/Fighter8 hybrid who fancies Conan as Lawful Evil and his character as a pastiche of this line of thought. (I have disagreements with the assessment of Conan as LE but let us let sleeping dogs lie for now) This character starts broken and stays that way for the rest of his life.

Elandrin: Elf 12th level Cleric, actually read and followed the directions of the email. (Possibly the only one). The player is fully armed with Complete Devine and Spell Compendium. Already has the future of his character tracked for the next 8 levels easily.

Ard, Leader of Our People: 11th level Teifling Wizard Through backstory caveat, and pre-game chicanery, has managed to make Konn and Rhy his slaves in exchange for staring money he doesnt need. Lawful Evil, chose the name because of the players uncanny ability to mimic the "Ard Leade of Our People" voice from Heavy Metal. Ring of Undetectible alignment amongst his gear so he always seems calm and neutral, despite worshipping the Devil.

Sam Quinton I: Played by a different player than my friend, a very cool gamer who wants to try out the "scout" character class because "it has everything that a ranger has, and everything that a rogue has, and bla bla bla" again, i'm open minded about the non-core stuff, despite what people may read in some of my posts. I know damned well his character is broke, I don't care. Good GMs rise to the challenge right?

Glandrill: Dwarf, Barbarian 12. Straight class, moxie and spunk in those broken stats 3ed gave to dwarves. He wears mountain plate from one of the race books. I dont really care. His con is sick, again I don't see this as any different than 90% of games run under 3.ed. Great guy plays Glandrill tho, so I'm not worried about this character at all.


Still time to turn back if you dont want spoilers!
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In the beginning:


PCs start their sojorn on storm tossed seas in a quick battle with druags from TOH. After the Druags are slain (easily by this group) an angel appears, informs them of a great tragedy in the east. A wrong that must be righted, and asks if they are willing and brave enough to face the tribulations ahead in order to save their world for good or ill. They of course answer yeah... as the ship is attacked a second time by shadows formed from the sailors that had just been killed and continue to reform till the cleric destroys them with a turn check.

The ship lands at the City of Dawaad's pier. Here they find a ghost city and see the Djinn Princes swirling around the gates and walls denying entrance. A Djinn aparates before them and tells of the tragedy. Sulymon has been taken before his "death" by agents of evil. His soul must be delivered onto the great god Anumon or else the keeper of the gates will allow no souls to pass to the afterlife.

The party responds favorably and sets forth to enter the descrated temple. Facing down the bearded devils is no problem for this intrepid band and they figure... cake walk. Crap DM, easy encounters. No sweat right?

Wrong for the first time.

They enter the temple after dispatching the minions in the gardens to find the ash scortched and blasted corpses of the faithful of Anumon, gathered in prayer to celebrate the life of the prophet, only to die in dispair. The horned devil makes his pronouncement... though has used an illusion to present himself to the party, and instead slinks behind them invisible.

The party challenges... though Ard seems less than pleased with the situation and tries diplomatic methods of avoiding conflict. These are for naught and a battle ensues. I admit... I jacked this encounter from the start and the Horned Devil was tossing way better than standard dice of damage with his fireballs and lightning bolts (at HD instead of capped...Woops) forgot here that 3ed reduces that damage to 10d6 and im' hurling 15d6. No matter. The party keeps lining up in lines for lightning, or clustering for fireballs. The monk/fighter and the scout keep evading. The wizard has minor globe up, so he is cool. The barbarian is a damage magnet but can take most of what is dealt to him. Cleric... says ouch a lot, thanks his god for lots of healing spells... and spends round 1 mass healing the party (and himself).

Battle ensues for some time, characters take loads of damage, mr. scout fails some reflex saves and actually suffers a LOT of damage. Scratches his head a bit at being nearly dead. Eventually the Devil is taken down. The cleric and fighter spend time cleaning the temple as others scrounge for loot.

PCs leave the temple and are confronted with the image of the future... a universe imploding on itself and the ancient efreet on the throne describing the end of days drawn to a close by his own hand. At this time they don't quite follow what is going on, but take the path of the prophet, purely for the thought of the unburied dead erupting across the world that they know and love (or wish to dominate and rule as god kings) rising up to eat them doesn't sound too much fun.

After the intro's and getting to know you's its a good evening's game time.





The next adventure.

PCs take off into the desert following the "Path of the Prophet". They encounter a few hazards that characters of their level easily vanquish. They meet refugees from Dawaad and encourage them to return home and rebuild. They search about and eventully find themselves in the dark oasis of the lotus eaters. Here they search about (failing to find the powerful item hidden at the bottom of the lake) but figure out that the leader of the Lotus Eaters is possessed/servant of an efreet who pretends to be a god. A quick battle ensues, most of the lotus eaters are too stoned to notice, and the PCs get the info they need to follow the burning dervishes with the Flask of Sulymon.

The PCs figure out the puzzles and directions to the cavern which holds the planar passage to the Plane of Molten Skies. With stones activated they see a whirling image of the COB in the distance and a planar portal appear. Stepping in they are whisked away too...

The Plane of Molten Skies.

I'll tell you what happened next when I've had more sleep

Case

bowbe said:

Warning, Spoilers Ahead

Further Warning: GM's eyes only... this means YOU!
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You should win some sort of spoiler award. I actually laughed at this. Kudos.

bowbe said:

We start the sessions with:

Rhy: 12th level fighter... armor and bastard sword specialist: Lawful Neutral (This character's armor class is the epitome of what I dislike about 3.5 splat book shennanigans, but I allow it because I know many will play COB with full use of all WOTC products and am up to testing the Scott/Case design hypothesis)

Konn: Mul (darksun, website based vs. dragon mag based.) Monk3/Fighter8 hybrid who fancies Conan as Lawful Evil and his character as a pastiche of this line of thought. (I have disagreements with the assessment of Conan as LE but let us let sleeping dogs lie for now) This character starts broken and stays that way for the rest of his life.

Elandrin: Elf 12th level Cleric, actually read and followed the directions of the email. (Possibly the only one). The player is fully armed with Complete Devine and Spell Compendium. Already has the future of his character tracked for the next 8 levels easily.

Ard, Leader of Our People: 11th level Teifling Wizard Through backstory caveat, and pre-game chicanery, has managed to make Konn and Rhy his slaves in exchange for staring money he doesnt need. Lawful Evil, chose the name because of the players uncanny ability to mimic the "Ard Leade of Our People" voice from Heavy Metal. Ring of Undetectible alignment amongst his gear so he always seems calm and neutral, despite worshipping the Devil.

Sam Quinton I: Played by a different player than my friend, a very cool gamer who wants to try out the "scout" character class because "it has everything that a ranger has, and everything that a rogue has, and bla bla bla" again, i'm open minded about the non-core stuff, despite what people may read in some of my posts. I know damned well his character is broke, I don't care. Good GMs rise to the challenge right?

Glandrill: Dwarf, Barbarian 12. Straight class, moxie and spunk in those broken stats 3ed gave to dwarves. He wears mountain plate from one of the race books. I dont really care. His con is sick, again I don't see this as any different than 90% of games run under 3.ed. Great guy plays Glandrill tho, so I'm not worried about this character at all.

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You have a natural talent for being funny. There's a funny comment about every broken PC--AND the only non-broken one by the guy who actually followed your guidelines--but you soldier on.

bowbe said:

Still time to turn back if you dont want spoilers!
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I'll tell you what happened next when I've had more sleep

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No! That will only ruin it. Write when you're exhausted; you're hilarious.

This was great. I'll buy the damn box set just to support your efforts.

/okay, I was probably going to buy it anyway. :\

TarionzCousin said:

You have a natural talent for being funny. There's a funny comment about every broken PC--AND the only non-broken one by the guy who actually followed your guidelines--but you soldier on.

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Agreed. I'd rep the OP if I could - sounds like my kind of gamer!

I honestly think this is one of the best 3E products ever done. One of the best D&D products ever done. Buy it now, or you'll be beating yourselves over the head when this thing sells out. 1500 unit print run, right Case?

This thing is just packed with goodness. I have yet to see anyone post a negative opinon about this product. If they do I'll offer to buy their copy. I want to get two more.

Somewhere in the 1000-1500 range there Tree... OK, Thanks TarionzCousin and Kiznit, soldiering on!

So the following week, the PCs, having rested pass through the portal, as Sam Quinton I assures them that the foes who had wrought ruin on the city of Dawaad have passed this way. The selections they made in the stone combination push them through into the Glass Maze.

This area is somewhat alien and freakish to them being comprised of canyons of pure obsidian. They take some time in traveling, end up in a box canyon attacked by obsidian minotaurs that move in behind and a short battle ensues. These guys being quite stacked in gear from the start stand back and let the dwarven barbarian pummel the minotaurs to dust with his hammer. Seriously... the minotaurs go down soo easy that the PCs are cracking wise about the suggested difficulty level of the City of Brass... this doesn't last too long.

The elf cleric prays for direction and finds the path leading out of the canyons to the obsidian fields beyond. Good use of character Elf... bonus points for you! (This is a common theme, the elf and dwarf are both VERY good players. Not to demean any of the group, most are excellent but these guys are awesome!

As the PCs reach the exit of the maze they are beset by a pair of glass wyrms. The Ard... leader of our people fires off a devastating desintegrate spell as he wins initiative with his tiefling dexterity. The ricochet and the players face are priceless as he manages to JUST make his save vs. his own spell with a natural 20, but still takes so much damage that he is nearly killed! Go Ard! Luckily his contingency goes off and he dimension doors a considerable distance away from the glass wyrms.

The Wyrms breath a razor storm of glass at the party, Ard drops to -5 though he has managed to avoid getting breathed on by both wyrms thanks to his dimension door. Sam Q, evades, Konn evades, Glandril makes one save, fails the other... but has a suitcase full of hit points being a dwarf, with a belt of constitution, AND being a barbarian. Rhy makes both saves, has a lot of hit points and more importantly a whole lot of attacks.

Glandril goes berserk, tosses a whole lot of points into power attack and gets to work. Rhy does the same, tho with less put into power attack, relying on his weapon specializations with the bastard sword to roughly equal the damage glandril does in one blow... and of course critical a whole lot. The scout pulls that cheesie "I move and sneak attack without being sneaky... using my bow!" Who created this class? Ugh the crap never ends... but I soldier on! One of the wyrms is about toast after the first round. These dudes really bring the DAMN! to dealin damage.

Elandrin failed one save, made another and is almost in as bad a shape as Ard, goes for a mass healing spell, getting ard up off the ground at very least, though for all intents and purposes he realizes that Ard is absolutely worthless against these critters. Ard casts haste now that he's up... one wyrm chews on Glandril the Dwarf... The other misses Rhy alot because he took a ton of armor feats, wears an amulet of protection +3, a ring of protection +2, +2 full plate and informs me of the eratta on tower shields... so yeah you guessed it +2 tower shield as well. I forget the math on all that but needless to say its a buttload of armor class. 32+. This guy must have lost a lot of characters under some other DM and sworn a solumn oath never to be hit again!

With buff spells from the cleric and haste provided by the wizard the battle is soon over and the PCs plunder the wyrms for some loot.

Avoding any other serious shenannigans they set out across the obsidian fields in search of the path fo the prophet so they can find the city of brass. Along the way they make nice with some Volcano Giants by killing some efreeti slavers in an airship and get pointed to the brass man and the path.

They see lots of cool locales on their trip, and burn from the heat, relying on the survival skills of the scout, and spells from the cleric and wizard to avoid the planar conditions they make the Bazaar of Beggars.

Aquiring some tatoos and amulets to protect them from the heat conditions of the City, Rhy is off on his own and sees a woman being accosted by men in red robes with black turbans and veils. Everyone else in the square with him is bowed towards the city for the call to prayer for the greatness of the Sultan, and this female refuses to bow, so is now threatened with execution.

Rhy is feeling particularly noble...more neutral good than lawful neutral... i discuss this with him as most of his actions thus far have been fairly good and he goes yeah, i really wanted to be NG but they talked me into being LN. Session 2, new character, go ahead and change it! (I'm easy like that most of the time). The player of Ard snickers and calls Rhy a traitor out of character.

Rhy tells the bozos accosting the lady to beat it and they burst into flame. Hello Burning Dervishes! A fight breaks out as onlookers form a ring around the combatants, thwarting more Burning Dervishes from entering the fray as crowds often do in a schoolyard fight! The lady throws back her cloak revealing shining silvery armor and bluish skin, draws a blade of her own and its on! The dervishes were pretty low level so fall quickly to the lady and Rhy.

The lady thanks Rhy for his assistance and leads him down a winding path in the Bazaar to a tent. Here she introduces herself as the Chufa Um Sofanie, an enemy of the Evil Sultan and his false religion and grants him a Rod of Embassy, allowing him and any of his allies entrance to the City of Brass. He is invited to visit her within the city at the Ubaydulah tower once he gets into town.

The rest of the party meets up, Rhy is like... lets go I got a pass into the COB and they are on their way. They see the miles long train of slaves, goods, and those waiting to get into the city with official business with the sultan and realize that the line will take weeks or longer. A fire giant guard sees their Rod of Embassy and tells them they can skip the line. Sweet!

City of Brass at last at last... this is going to be easier than we thought!

More Daring Do to share later on!

Case

Good stuff Case! One thing going into my eventual review is how visual a lot of the CoB material is, especially the environment leading up to the City of Brass. There's good material there - though it's funny that you let them skip the line. I probably would too, but there's someone out there going to spend an entire session somehow only getting a few hundred feet in line. Hmm. Wait. Could be an adventure here. The party gets attacked, and someone has to hold their place. They tag team round by round. Hmmm.

Part 3: The Tax Man Cometh

SO the intrepid adventurers make it into the City of Brass, the Fire Giant Guards let them right in and they take a moment to bathe in the spectacle of the upper city with its minarets, ziggurat, towers, palaces, and spires. Ok... actually they don't. They goof on me for reading the description and have lots of side bar conversations, just like every other group of gamers when faced with a DM giving a description of a place they think is REALLY cool and deserving of a flavor text montage.

Of course, these guys are ready to go shopping and find a place to stay, and maybe test out the extra planar ale and wenches to see if its really "different" than ale and wenches back home. They get about ten steps onto the Sultan's Boulevard when they are approached by the Tax Man from the SRS (Sultan's Revenue Service) and his flanking bodyguards (A quartet of Fire Giants).

After casting detect magic, identify, detect metal and the like, the tax man informs them that they owe an annual tax of 15% of the value of all their carried loot. Since most of these guys have bags of holding crammed with things both mundane and fabulous, that amounts to a VERY large tax. TO make matters worse the tax collector refuses to take their payout in gold and jewels, and insists on Brass Pieces... which of course they don't have. Grumbling and very P.Oed the PCs are escourted to the money changer who skeeves them for another 5-15% based on diplomacy, intimidate, or charisma rolls.

They get their ivory chit, (to avoid getting dinged again in the near future) and ask the Tax man where they can find a job or a place to stay now that a sizeable amount of their left-over fortune is gone! Not wanting to be a total bastich, the tax collector informs the PCs that there have been issues with squatters out in the Plane of Molten Skies... being wizards, dragons, formians and the like who have set up a residence in the Plane, but have yet to file their tax papers with the Bureau of Taxation, and are thus breaking the Sultan's Law.

Feeling the need to kill something and take its stuff after having their stuff taken, the PCs agree and get their first (and last) assignment from the Tax Man and become temporary agents of the SRS.

They head back out into the waste lands, no longer having money to buy the extravagant loot they think they need at prices they can't afford.

Destination: The Tower of Jhedophar.

K-- I won't go into every detail of the 3 session excursion to the Tower of Jhedophar. I wrote it and it fit nicely into the framework of the adventure, as I had left some tie ins from TOJ to the COB when I wrote it. The batte with the Glass Wyrms had sorta given these guys a bit of a pause to think they maybe "weren't tough enough" at my suggested level of play so as one guy put it "Lets go Dragon Warrior and Kill some Slimes to level up".

Quick Recap of What Happened at the TOJ

Elandrin the Cleric Died at the Hands of Nazoj the Demiurge. PCs had to use the one wish from the ring of wishes in the dragons lair to resurrect him.

Ard Leader of our People Died from a Finger of Death Spell... Elandrin had to Raise him. I used the alternate rule for the Roll to avoid losing XP and he made it.

Glandrin the Dwarf's lucky +3 dwarven waraxe desintegrated by a spell gorged zombie.

Sam Quenton 1: Teleported to a chamber full of shadow rats and shadows, swarmed, and reduced to 2 strength (belt of strength +2 saves his life, but he cannot move and is trapped in the room, starving to death). His player informs me his job is sending him out of state for several months and he prolly wont be back but is enjoying himself. My buddy brings his own rogue... who we name Sam Quenton and presume that its the same guy with a split personality with totally differnt skills when he is located sometime during session 2.

In Session 2:The PCs make the back-and-forth deals with Exeterus and Jhedophar, first taking the dragons deal, then the Liches, kill the dragon. Quenton two rolls something like 6 natural 20's in a row, with his bow against the dragon. It's so much sick damage I can't even fathom it, especially since the first shot was a sneak attack! Egads man, your twice the rogue Quenton 1 was!

They go back to claim their taxes from Jhedophar and he's skipped the tower, taking most of his really good stuff (including the Mandrake Staff) with him. He is gracious enough to leave the PCs a note telling them that 50% of the dragons horde should make up for the taxes he forgot to pay, and thanks for taking care of the dragon for me "Love, Jhedophar." PS. I have a swank new place in the City of Brass, come see me sometime.

Rhy ends up with the +5 tower shield AND the uber magic sword. His AC is now pushing the limits of my sanity, but hey, I put the crap in the book, so I get what I payed for. Downside is the sword has more ego and wits than he does. I don't want to play that card on this particular player tho, as he seems a bit testy as it is what with the big AC and all that. On his own he begins to think... maybe I should be a paladin so that the sword will work better for me.

I print up some stuff about paladins, oaths, honor, piety, humility, and so on from my standard campaign spiel, as a guideline to help him out, figuring he can take the paladin prestige class if he can follow the basics. Of course he wants to level up a couple more levels in fighter first for the feats... strike 1 there eh? Hahaha. It gets better when he starts talking about taking his cut of gems and coin to have it enchanted as a flying shield so he can go two handed with the bastard sword. Some players I tell ya. But he works at the shop we are running at so i'm taking it easy and not letting any of the cheese bug me too much. Hell I'm happy to be running COB right?

All told, the PCs do get some good loot, and some decent magic items + the taxes and recoup their loss from the tax man. The dwarf wants to switch to a maul as he ran across a few things that didnt take damage from slashing weapons and didn't care too much for that. The dwarf os showing some of his nearly unkillable nature but the player is really likeable and RPs his character VERY well!

Everybody levels up, gets their cheese on, and it's back to the COB.

Until Next Time.

Case

Varianor Abroad said:

I probably would too, but there's someone out there going to spend an entire session somehow only getting a few hundred feet in line. Hmm. Wait. Could be an adventure here. The party gets attacked, and someone has to hold their place. They tag team round by round. Hmmm.

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I did exactly this in a playtest session with the Plane of Molten Skies (and surrounding areas of the City).

Group was in line, they were suckered into stepping outta line behind some tents (with promises of quick and easy admittance to the City). They ended up buying a fake Rod (to allow passage into the City), passed it off to the City guards who called them out on the fakery. They then proceeded to go back to their spot in line only to find it occupied by the guys who sold them the fake rod. Nice little fight ensues, the PCs eventually win, all the while they did indeed do the 'tag team' to maintain a spot in line (as did the thugs they were battling with)

Got the CoB yesterday, great product and this is a great thread.

I have seen PCs do some evil stuff in my time, but working for the Tax Man !?!

Back to the City

Just a bit shell-shocked but eager to get back to the City our heroes return, drop off Jhedophar's cash to the tax collectors who mention that the Lich mentioned that they would be dropping off his overdue payment and should expect the PCs along any time...

The PCs head off to do a little shopping, since Glandril the Dwarven barbarian is currently using the Rhy the fighter's old sword (and still dealing hella damage, much to the dismay of Rhy... who is a specalized weapon fighter vs. a pure damage monger).

They hit the Plaza of Amirs and head directly to the Bazaar of Arms, putting in some orders for gear and magical enhancements. They all want gear made special for them and figure to have enough cash to cover their enhancements and upgrades.

While haggling (and seperated from each other in small knots) the Ard, Leader of Our People sets out to "look into some real estate" and find out the price of a lease on his own pad, the cost of slaves, and the cost of purchasing infants and innocent elves to be used in devilish sacrifices. He's looking for a patron Arch Devil and needs some components to "make contact" with a powerful evil outsider unbeknownst to the rest of the group. Hey... to everyone else he's affable, humorous if somewhat neutral in his political and religious views on everything right?

On his way, he and the Sam Quenton 2, and Konn are approached by a Dark Stranger who offers them 1000 gp each to create a distraction for him that will plug up the side streets of a main thoroughfair. They haggle him up to 2500 each and he agrees, but forces the agreement that with such a high price he has also purchased their silence.

A Huge palanquin carried by a half dozen fire giants proceeds up the main thoroughfair and the streets clear somewhat to make way for the honorary procession of a fire giantess emmisary of Thane Brindha who has a citadel out in the plane of molten skies... and whose fellow giants serve in great numbers as mercenary police force for the city of brass... since Giant cops tend to catch less lip from would be criminals. Its sorta a deal like R.E. Howard put it...(paraphasing) "Barbarians are more polite than civilized folk...rudeness gets you an axe to the face."

The dark stranger gives a signal. Ard uses sleight of hand and summons some Water Elementals that sploosh about the crowd. Causing a panick amongst efreeti, burning dervish and visitor alike. The Dark Stranger ... casts an illusion to make it appear as if an efreeti noble has stepped out of the crowd and points a finger at the giantess. The palanquin stops because of the crowd running willy nilly. A bright flash is seen and the efreeti is gone, but the giantess is dead! The Dark stranger is of course an assassin who kills the fire giant emmisary! Pandemonium ensues. Despite Ard's high roll, he notices a trio of fellows watching him very carefully throughout the encounter, though they take no actions against him.

The PCs feel like they got hosed, (which they did) and since they are standing closest to the palanquin, the giant bearers move to attack them! The dwarf drops a fire giant with a series of harsh power attacks! Quenton 2 provides excellent cover fire as the PCs look for an escape route and Ard moves the water elementals closer to the party to cover a retreat.

Burning dervishes appear to cordon off the area and the REAL efreeti noble and his friends are cornered by a 2nd group of Efreeti and a pile of Burning dervishes. The PCs push their way into a narrow side street, where a different dark stranger invites them into a doorway and closes the door behind them.

The guys who were shopping hear the screams and dismay in the direction their buddies took off, and attempt to head in that direction. I judge them 8 rounds away from the conflict +1d4 rounds for the crowd.

Tons more happened than I can even remember but the gist is this second stranger tells the PCs that they have been used as part of a plot and that they will no doubt be sought for the assassination of Thane Brindha's daughter! He tells them that the assassin is a servant of Set. Set wishes more favor in recieving weapons and gear to stage a coup of the Hells. Destabalizing the City by forcing a strike of the Fire Giant police force is the first portion of Set's plan.

Of course the PCs are all "well what can we do?" The fellow, an abasheen genie who calls himself "Tarbish al Aziz" says that the only way to accomplish this would be to kill the High Priest of Set in the Shining Pyramid... because the loss of such an important dignitary would remove Set's Favor from the Sultan's ambitions. Others of Tarbish's assistants bring in the rest of the PCs.

Tarbish swears greatly to Anumon the Keeper of the Gates, and deplores the Sultan's Rule, referring to him as the "Usurper", and talks of the formation of the Burning Dervishes and the building of the Ziggurat which is in itself a city within the city, replacing the structures devastated during the battle that put the Usurper on the Brazen Throne.

The PCs are more than sympathetic. Glandril sees Loot and Bloodshed. Rhy .. being mostly good sees an opportunity to work on his "Lawful Goodness" so he can get more juice out of the sword (yeah thats lawful and good right?) Ard... being a Devil worshipper, doesn't like the sound of Set takin over Hell... thats his JOB, not some snake! Konn, like Glandril is about the loot, and Elandrin is about good over all! Death to the snake!

Tarbish offers to change the Appearance of the PCs with some magic potions he has, so that they won't be noticed for their true identities, and has a servant fly the PCs to the Shining Pyramid of Set on a large flying carpet!

This seems like a good place to pause.

More to Follow.

Case