D&D 5E Al-Qadim Moving Through the Flame

"Suelasta the Magnificent is next up to be graced with our presence," she says to group before turning to her sister with a smile and continuing, "I trust you can lead us to the Menagerie after we've dealt with the company we've attrated?"

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Amina simply stepped up and cut in front of Akilah, placing herself between the group and her charge. Beyond that, she made no sound or movement, leaving it to others to defuse or escalate the situation. Such was not for her to decide.

She made no move to draw the sword hidden among the folds of her aba as well. This was not a fight for such a weapon, if fight it was to be.

Najiyah bowed her head in gratitude as she accepted the book from Amina, the ornamental coins on her bodice softly jangling together in the movement. She could not resist a peek at the beautiful elven script within the coverpage of the book, but it was only a momentary glance before she tucked the item away into one of her many pockets.

She had no grasp of the language within and fully intended on delivering the book to Salahuddin in the hopes that he knew what he was looking for, but after her earlier fiasco with her hands, she did not trust herself to safely free the writ from the book and let it exchange hands with so many eyes upon them. She would need to wait for a more private opportunity, and allow the witnesses to continue to believe the clever Amina had possession of the writ.

As they departed from Jina's company and stepped outside of the ornate pavilion of the auction house, Najiyah frowned at the darkening bruise of the skies, the purple light fading quickly on the far reaches of the horizon. She muttered under her breath, "I did not realize it was growing so late already..." before turning to Akilah with a fond and mishievous glint in her eye.

"The musk of those beasts alone could lead me there blindfolded. But I can pick a common path so as to avoid the more isolated alleyways. Kaniel?"

She turned to the Mamluk, whom may not have towered over them as Salahuddin and his valet did, but his half-orc countenance was made all the more fearsome by the shadows cast by the torchlight and shining off of his tusks.

"Perhaps you could be so kind as to take the lead to disperse the crowd to quicken our progress? I will guide you on which direction to take."

She did not need to advise anyone to keep a lookout. Even Najiyah could sense the tension of accute awareness among her companions. She hoped Kaniel's intimidating presence and the sheer size of their valet would be enough to discourage any followers, and to avoid a fight with fools.

~ That had been a strange, sordid business, the Mamluk thought. However, Kaniel's mind burned with questions, wondering how this all fit together. And the book: the others thought it clearly important, important enough to now have the spotlight outside of the auction house. The Half-Orc narrowed his eyes at the robed men, shifting a bit in his own, loose clothing and laying a palm on the hooked pommel of a scimitar at his hip. It was a sun-exhausted fool that dared to accost a Mamluk, but Kaniel had met many fools in his day.

"Kaniel?"

He was stirred from such thoughts by the warmth of Najiyah's tone, blinking a bit and turning to face her. While half of a rather savage race, Kaniel was not exactly a large Orc, coming to maybe a few inches taller than the Vizier herself.

" Perhaps you could be so kind as to take the lead to disperse the crowd to quicken our progress? I will guide you on which direction to take."

" Perhaps I would, sayidda," Kaniel agreed with a small smile, his tusks revealed a little more and glinting in the flickering flames of nearby sconces alight with fire. He was pleased that she trusted him with guiding her and the assembled, though he also heavily assumed that they would handle themselves just as well as he. Perhaps more so, in some areas.

He inclined his head differentially to the Sorceress and she pointed the path to begin their journey. For his part, Kaniel once more took a look at the robed gatherers, his nose and brow scrunching together into a sneer; a warning that perhaps incognito jambiyas would be rather useless if they did not kill him on the very first blow.

He walked with his shoulders back, his chest out, in the manner of a proud warrior. Though he wore no mail or even the iconic mirrored plate of other Mamluk, the indigo tattoos upon his verdant skin were more than enough to note that not only was this a soldier, but this Half-Orc was a soldier of The Grand Caliph himself. Whomsoever in this troubled district decided it would be wise to try and confront the Sheikh's advocates over a book (or anything else) would also be making the very unwise decision to cross Kaniel Ibn-Faruq.

And Kaniel had met many fools in his days. ~

Salahuddin grins as his magic takes hold of the man and stops him from pursuing the book. He watches the man congratulate Amina on winning the book and walk off. Salahuddin moves back towards the others as the book is handed to Amina. Salahuddin grins to Jina.

"My lady thank you for your cooperation. I will make sure to visit next time I am in magnificent Tajar."

Salahuddin takes the woman's hand and kisses it before turning and following the others outside. As he exits the tent he looks over at Sinjin and then to the group of men. He grins at his valets comment.

"And how do we know it is I they flock towards. You shaqiq (brother) are a sight to gawk at and mortals would strive to be near such greatness."

Salahuddin smiles again at his friend and looks back to the men.

"But these men appear to be some that attempted to bid on the book we acquired. It would be best if we are careful with these men as they may resort to other means to gain what they want. Sinjin keep a wary eye for such troubles."

He nods to Akilah as she suggests visiting Suelasta the Magnificent next. He stepped in behind Kaniel to follow the Mamluk. As the group heads out Salahuddin instructs Easifa to scout ahead and look for any trouble.

[SECTION]
With a stiff bow, the towering valet swirls his cloak out as he follows behind Salahuddin. “My eyes shall be like unto the moon, ever revealing yet restrained in greatness. So as not to burn mortals with my brightness, Alrriah Yusamma.” Sinjin quips as his dusky eyes scan the streets for the slightest sign of the twitchy men shadowing you from the auction house.

With Sinjin on guard, the men dare not approach your party from behind.
[/SECTION]

Only a keen observer would note the lanky men in old grey abas (robes) following you from the portside auction house through the streets of Tajar’s markets. At times they seem to fade away into the background, lost amidst the crowd, only for Sinjin to point out one lurking down a dark alley or watching through a slit in the canvas behind a potter’s stall. There seem to be four of the beady-eyed men in total, armed with jambiyas like many in the Pearl Cities, though an occasional hint of a scimitar beneath their abas is possible.

Just when several of them seem to be gathering the resolve to approach you through the tangled market, Kaniel’s well-timed display of silent authority causes the men to balk at the last second. As quickly as they were there, they slip away behind a troupe of ornery dromedary camels.



The riverfront estate of Suelasta the Magnificent is easy to find by the stream of Tajar’s denizens visiting for the evening menagerie. Censers blazing with pale flames lead along the brick pathway leading down to an array of domed buildings with gilded decor. Here, the night is interrupted by intermittent sounds of whooping bird calls, screeching monkeys, and yawning beasts amidst the backdrop of the river.

[SECTION]
The portly Suelasta, a merchant well known by the two viziers for smooth-talking Sheikh Ali into allowing the menagerie’s creation within Tajar, is just finishing a tour for a group of wide-eyed children. In one cage, a giant scorpion is barely visible under a rocky ledge where it has withdrawn warmth, and in another a massive mangy bear with white fur paces about sniffing at tufts of grass.

“As you have seen, dear children,” announces Suelasta in his high-pitched wheezing voice, “the will of the Loregiver is that we Enlightened beings should tame the beasts of the wild. So tamed, they are defanged, de-venomed, a threat to not even a fly…”
[/SECTION]

While peripherally aware of the shadows, at least at first, Amina grows to trust that the genie servant can do the job of rearguard and focuses her attention on her own task. Even veiled, her eyes are sharp as she scans the crowd ahead, the terraces overhead, and the dark recesses between buildings...

Perception: 1d20+7 20

(OOC - Oops, make that 24...my Perception bonus is +11, thanks to Expertise. Sorry!)

Akilah trusts in the many eyes looking out for their well being so instead of looking for danger she enjoys the many scents and sounds as they make their way around Tajar.
When they arrive at the Menagerie she notices the group of children being led out by Suelasta and his explination on the harmlessnes of the animals. The Hakima's senses tingled and she gave the animals an investigative glance.



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[SBLOCK="Amina"]For now, it seems like the men following your party faded back into the city, not wanting to risk exposure in the light of the burning censers or perhaps frightened away by the sounds of the menagerie's beasts. However, their skulking retreat suggests they may return when the odds favor them.[/SBLOCK]

[SBLOCK=Akilah]The glint of torchlight in the giant scorpion's eyes unnerves Akilah. It is not resting, no, it is poised in a coiled tension, ready to spring at the nearest thing to it - Suelesta or one of the children - should they just come within striking range of its stinger.[/SBLOCK]

"Suelesta!" Akilah proclaims with air of authority in her voice. "I don't imagine you'd care to demonstrate the tamed nature of these beasts?" Akilah says raising a knowing eyebrow as she speaks. " Children!" she says with the same authority as before. "It grows late, hurry home!"

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