Lost Tomb of the Sphinx Queen - IC Thread

[Shayuri]

"Brute," Kuma snorts. "I've been nothing but courteous, but I'm a brute. Warmlanders."

He shakes his head, brushing it off. "No matter. Does anyone here know where I may find the Sphinx Prophet? If my presense here so offends, the fastest way to be rid of me is to help me see him."

 

[Gli'jar]

Turning to Royce, "It would delight me to partake of your hospitality. We are nigh on the sun's peak. It is time to relax and retreat from the daily toil if only for a moment."

Turning to Kuma ,"Join us, I am to see the prophet as well. It would do us best to relax before hand. I will even answer your question when I have seated."

Isfendiyar turns and moves to sit in the shade of the tent and beckons Kuma to join them. Once there he makes himself comfortable, "We are taught many thing, I will relay two. Do not fraternize with the hot-tempered man, nor apporach him to converse. Safeguard your tongue from answering your superior.The truly temperate man then sets himself apart. He is like a tree grown in a sunlit field. It flourishes, it doubles its yield, it stands before its owner, its fruit is something sweet, and its shade is pleasant." He spits out a pit and sips his tea. "The wealth of a wise man is his speech, but whoever fills the mouth with too much bread swallows it and spits up, so he is emptied of his good." Raising his head to gaze at the dishevled prophet, "You should not have questioned him, he is empty. There is no spirit of conversation there is only offense and insults, taken and given. He long ago lost the ability to differentiate between the two."

He takes another sip of tea, and asks to no one in particular "I am Binder Isfendiyar Tal'Utel , servant of Ra and priest to Pharoh Lohurasp. I am here to question the prophet on a matter for my pharoh. What brings you here?"

 

[D20Dazza]

Arriana reclines casually on a lounge in the darkened interior of the sabil, her dark burnoose shrouding her form in shadows. She watches with interest as the group gathers in the centre of the small village and strains her pointed ears to hear the conversation Smells like trouble she thinks to herself as her eyes soak up the scene.

Moments later, and after a few heated words, the group starts to break up. Some of the assemblage walked casually towards the very sabil that Arriana relaxed in This could prove interesting she thinks as she watches the strangers approach I wonder why they are here at this time? Have they followed the same story as I? Has Bes sent them this way? Bast knows I could use the help in completing this quest? she muses as she sips at her drink and watches the men settle at a table beside her.

 

[Pinotage]

He takes another sip of tea, and asks to no one in particular "I am Binder Isfendiyar Tal'Utel , servant of Ra and priest to Pharoh Lohurasp. I am here to question the prophet on a matter for my pharoh. What brings you here?"

The crazed prophet remains unresponsive to Aethor's question, so the dwarf instead turns his attention to the newly arrived elf and latches onto his comment regarding weary eyes. "You be not knowing the half of it. My eyes be thinking they cannot see with all this sand. And it be too bright." He chuckled deeply at himself. "I be Aethor, seemingly a poor traveller, but not seemingly a dwarf. I be of Master Gundarak's forge, and servant to the Planak." He nodded to those around him before scratching his bear again to clear some of the sand irritation away.

Moving to join the others in the shade, he calmly watches those around him. "I be thinking that wild man would be giving us an answer, but for a wild man he be awfully quiet at present. It be the case that we all seek the Sphinx Prohpet?" Aethor grunted to answer his own question. "I be seeing the Prophet about my own business, but to be sure I be thinking the Prophet will have something to say about a curiousity of mine." He shrugged. His reasons for being here were his business. "You, prophet," he then bellowed again at the wild and crazed prophet. "When be we seeing the Sphinx Prophet?"

 

[Malvoisin]

Kuma grins, and his teeth are fangs.

"You see true, prophet," he rumbles, his voice a volcanic bass. "I am a warrior. Blood stains my hands, my blade, and my footsteps. But I have not come to this place to war, or to shed blood. I offer my water to show that I respect the peace of this place, and would not see it broken."

"I am here to seek the wisdom of the Oracle of the Sands. Long have I followed rumor and tale, through plain and forest and desert, over river and lake...and now I am here. I believe it is my wyrd that I stand here now, with my old life withering behind me like a snake's skin cast off...and a new quest looming ahead that I cannot quite see."

"The Sphinx Prophet will help me. This I believe."

He peers at the old man quizzically. "And what of you, friend? You have been here long...I can see it. But why? Have you not found the answers you came for?"

The old prophet's demeanor changes suddenly, and he leans in close to Kuma, as though to a fellow conspirator. He says quietly, "A new quest, you say? Or perhaps a very old one, very old indeed. This quest is yours, and blood will be shed. But will it be the blood of others, or your own? Yes, go into the hills and seek out Khubsheth the Sphinx Prophet, for it is he who will open the door for you."

The Speaker turns away, completely ignoring Kuma's final question.

 

[Malvoisin]

As he approaches the stone Isfendiyar sees a large figure making some form of offering which is then interrupted by the ravings of the Speaker of Dust. He continues to approach, offering a question to the Speaker, nodding to the large figure and offering a bow of respect to the Speaker, “Master Speaker, are we not taught that as tipling mortals, it is not for us to question intent, that is Anubis’s providence in the Hall of Judgement? His heart will be judged against Maat and he will either join Osiris or face the Eater of Souls."

"Hee hee," the Speaker laughs, turning to face Isfendiyar. "You know your lore well, priest of Ra, but there are other powers than your gods. You will find out soon enough your true place in the world. Ha ha."

"And you sir” motioning to Kuma, "Do not belittle this old Master. Were you not taught to lower your arms and bow your back to one having authority and superiority to you? If you disagree with him, he will not side with you so you should make little of the evil speaking by not opposing him in his argument. He will be dubbed a fool when your self-control has matched his ramblings."

Kuma looks around at the newcomer who berates him and his smile fades. To his credit, he hears the priest out before replying in his slow, measured, rumbling voice.

"He asked me why I came, and I told him. In the spirit of conversation, I asked him why he stayed. I don't see the offense there, priest...and it seems to me that if there -was- offense taken, it's for him to point out. Or would you insult him by acting as if he could not?"

The Speaker to Dust cackles loudly at this exchange, seemingly quite amused by it.

 

[Malvoisin]

"Bah!" he muttered as he turned back to the half-elf, "I be thinking that I be finding something else to suit me. Perhaps at some later time." This time he strode off towards the stone in the centre of Prophet's Leap, coming to a halt and giving the stone a good stare. "I be thinking it be strange that people be talking all sorts of things about a mere stone. But the beliefs of people are to be respected. Or so I be thinking." He shrugged his dwarven shoulders, not giving any sign that he was talking to anybody. Only after a few seconds he addressed the prophet. "Do you be knowing when we can approach the Prophet?" he asked.

The elderly half-elf's expression does not change as Aethor turns away. He just continues to nod, saying, "As you wish, my good friend, return later."

Over by the Stepstone, the flea-bitten Speaker answers Aethor's question with laughter. "When can you approach, you can approach when you like, hah! Khubsheth been at the statue's paw for thousands of years, what is a few more hours to him? Go and find what you seek, the Finder will take you, Seeker." The speaker cackles some more, then abruptly wanders around to the other side of the Stepstone to harangue some approaching caravan guards, much to their chagrin.

 

[Malvoisin]

Isfenidyar and Aethor move to join Royce in the shade of the pavilion, and they begin to converse and enjoy some refreshments. Kuma hesitates, and it is unclear whether he will join the others in accepting Royce's inviation.

A catwoman with luxuriant brindle fur reclines on a divan nearby.

Moving to join the others in the shade, he calmly watches those around him. "I be thinking that wild man would be giving us an answer, but for a wild man he be awfully quiet at present. It be the case that we all seek the Sphinx Prohpet?" Aethor grunted to answer his own question. "I be seeing the Prophet about my own business, but to be sure I be thinking the Prophet will have something to say about a curiousity of mine." He shrugged. His reasons for being here were his business. "You, prophet," he then bellowed again at the wild and crazed prophet. "When be we seeing the Sphinx Prophet?"

From here, the Speaker to Dust is seemingly unable to hear Aethor's repeated question, but another, unexpected voice answers him in a soft growl.

"You seek the Great Sphinx? I can take you there. Two gold coins each."

A tall female gnoll has just entered the shady tent, and it is she who replies to Aethor. Her fur is much lighter than that of most gnolls, as though it has been bleached from long exposure to the harsh desert sun.

(OOC: Please continue your excellent role-playing everyone! Introduce yourselves to one another, and make arrangements with Knag'rr to journey into the hills if you wish.)

 

[Shayuri]

Startled by the old man's unexpected reply, Kuma remains lost in thought, then sees the others congregating. And by their words, they sought the Sphinx as well. Coincidence? Or the machinations of wyrd, again masquerading as circumstance? If nothing else, it had been long days and nights since he'd had companions on his path.

He leaves the Stepstone to stand before the others, and schooled his voice to resist those instincts that could lead him to growl or snarl while speaking. He was hard enough for people to accept looking as he did, the more 'human' he could manage himself, the more likely they would tolerate his presence. At least until battle was joined. His companions in the past had become much more forgiving of Kuma's nature after having seen him fight.

"Excuse me, pilgrims," he said in polite tones. "May I join you? As we all seek the advice of the Sphinx, it could serve us well for us all..." he gestured with a taloned hand to include all those seated and himself, "to leave as one. I'm sure the tales of bandits in the hills are not -all- to frighten away the unworthy."

"I am Kuma, of the Great Mountain Uthgardt."

 

[Pinotage]

"That man be not all in his head," he muttered quietly to himself as he took a sip of water offered in the shadowed shelter of the tent. At least he'd answered his question, and it was certainly an answer that he was happy with. The sooner he was gone from here and back with the Planak and the plains of Achgerog, the better. Somehow despite his discomfort about height and the vast emptiness of mountain peaks, he even found the peaks of Gthermak a better option than here. Or even better, the fire pits of Dmarak that had nearly cost him the better half of his body.

Shaking his head, he turned quite unsurprised by the arrival of the gnoll. He nodded his agreement to the gnoll as Kuma confirmed his own thoughts. "I be thinking the company would be taking my mind off getting the sand out of my beard." He looked around at Royce, Kuma and Isfendiyar, not sparing a glance at the feline who was nearby. "Shall we be parting with our coin to appease the gnoll? I be happier to see the Sphinx Prophet sooner rather than wait for the tomorrow."