Hello
Alright! Glad you're back!
Sorry I was away a bit the last 2 days (very busy at work and game night on Thursday) so I didn't reply right away.
I must admit I'm a bit hazy on the details about this wicked Jann - I'm totally ok with going that way (let's get the story going again) but a few clarifications would be appreciated:
1: I see from the map on post 554 that Khaldun (the oasis of the wicked Jann) is sort of located withing the Badu al-Kabir (close to a dry riverbed), this is correct? (backtracking then following the river bed may be the easiest)
2: Based on my reading, the Khalduni Jinn may actually be *opposed* to the brotherhood of the flame? I'm having a really hard time untangling the politicsc here
3: More in general, why are we seeking this/these wicked jinns? Are we sure they are wicked?
More in general
4: Lal doesn't mind warding the back at all. As far as I can tell he's now at "full" (all rages, all HP, all hit dice available)
5: Did Ushkal react to Lal's gift of a vial of water from the God River?
Good questions!
1: Yes, Khaldun is located at the eastern edge of the Badu al-Kabir. Leaving Hakim oasis you could travel E-by-SE until you hit the dry riverbed of Al-Sabiya River, then follow that south until you reach Khaldun.
2: Very possibly, yes, the Khalduni jann may be opposed to the Brotherhood (by virtue of the possibility that the mages the Shakaris allied with may have been Brotherhood). The politics are a bit complex, but I'm also giving you the version thru Usqual's eyes, with all his prejudices and personal biases.
3: I think that's a question for your party to answer, but I assumed it was because folks thought the jann might be a good source of information. Are they truly "wicked"? I've intentionally left the absolute truth of that ambiguous. From Usqual al-Shakari's anti-civilization pro-tribal wandering perspective? Yeah, it sounds like the jann of Khaldun would qualify as "wicked" because they have settled down in a "village" made possible by magic & bring stranded travelers and captives into their fold through the "water price". Again, you have incomplete details from a biased source.
4: Yep, long rest, everyone should be back at full AFAICT.
5: I may have forgotten to narrate Usqual's reaction. I'll go back and read. Since it wasn't a great sacrifice on your part (i.e. just a bit of narrative creativity, not giving up a magic item or something), I'll probably just let it be a role-playing exchange between Lal & Usqual, or at most he'll give Lal a trinket in return.
