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

[VLAD the Destroyer]

Salahuddin nods at Jina and feigns shocked disbelief at the trouble she is having with House Uqab. So the Vultures are looting tombs and other ancient sites. He accepts the ledger from Jina and pauses as he skims the list. His attention perks up at the Urns. Much of what was taken could have been a distraction and these urns might have been the true target. Salahuddin thinks back to the lessons he learned from the Venerable Fatima. She taught him much on things of power, especially those associated with genie kind. Perhaps these where the treasures given to the Efreet.

"The Uqab can be a scourge especial when they pick from the bones of forgotten people. These sites that they have pilfered, they where in the high desert? If we intend to look into this for you we would need to know of their location and any other information about the sites and the people to which they belonged."

As Salahuddin spoke he informed Easifa to search for this alleged spellbook. If it was truly the lost Spellbook of Akdam then it would be good to know who won the bid or perhaps win it himself. Salahuddin turns his attention back to Jina.

"It is distressing that the Uqab have been able to not only discover the location of these sites that I'm sure you keep hidden. However have been able to scavenge from them just mere moments before your own associates can arrive to properly take possession of such valuable antiquities. It is quite vexing." Salahuddin turns to the others. "I believe that it is a good idea to look into this. This might all be related to the raiders in some way."

[sblock=Arcana Check]Arcana check on the Urn. (With Advantage re-roll if it is Genie related): 2#1d20+5 11 23
If the urns are not related to genies then take the 11.[/sblock]

 

[Foxbytes]

"Jina...."

Najiyah's voice suddenly took on a sultry, far-away lilt, a smoky melody that was intentionally softer than the voices of the auction that surrounded them to force the listener to focus entirely on the sound.

In Najiyah's hands, produced from gods-only-knew-where, was an old oil lamp that smelled strongly of incense. As her thumbs brushed against the aged brass, fine diamond-cut engravings caught and glittered in the torchlight in the oddest of ways.

"I recall the stories from afar,
Whispered on the streets of Tajar
Of these ossuaries of ceramic make..."

The incense began to thicken until a haze of smoke began to surround them all in a small radius, blurring reality into a surreal hypnotic landscape. Images began to form in the tendrils, illustrating the very urns spoken of. Najiyah's black eyes were all that seemed to pierce the dizzying plume.

"...Elves carved riddles into the clay,
In a language that glows night or day,
To bind elementals to their own eternal wake."

OOC: Performance check with advantage: 1D20+8 = [20]+8 = 28 1D20+8 = [17]+8 = 25

Najiyah carefully lowered the lamp in her hands, her gaze burning into Jina's to keep a strong hold of the entrancement.

"Now, we would love to know all that you know and more of the precise nature, locations and directions of these raiders, and hold nothing back. Given the dangerous tales of these artifacts, that seems far more important than maintaining your business uninterrupted, wouldn't you agree?"

 

[Quickleaf]

[SBLOCK=Salahuddin]Though he is versed in Elvish, and vaguely understands the translation akashta bariyat likely refers to some sort of construct or elemental, such urns were not encountered in the Citadel of Ice and Steel. As least one thing Salahuddin can be certain of - the urns are not the works of genie-kind.

Easifa also returns to Salahuddin with news exchanged telepathically, Alas, my master, I was unable to see inside the book to verify whether or not it was the genuine article. It has not been opened even once behind the auction house platform. And just when I tried to open it, I found it swept out of reach in a series of most unlucky events... At the very least these cretins are treating it with a modicum of respect such magical lore deserves.[/SBLOCK]

In the background, several bidders argue vociferously as the obsidian rainbow skull is sold for 275 dinars (gp) to a tall beady-eyed man representing the interests of the merchant Fahad al-Zakir. As the commotion dies down to disgruntled murmurs, the announcer presents a worn dark leather journal he calls the "Traveling Spellbook of Akdam." The bid starts at 350 dinars (gp)...

[SECTION]"Within the Badu al-Kabir," answers Jina in a quiet voice after a moment's hesitation, fingers twirling the rim of her palm wine glass vexingly. Trade secrets are a merchant's only upper hand in the cutthroat markets of Tajar, and she only reluctantly parts with hers. "A tribe of elves used to roam the Badu al-Kabir, so the stories go, who learned how to hide their valleys from the eyes of warring sheikhs and sultans. Only ruins remain of their settlements. My best finds of antiquities were southwest of Hakim Oasis and northeast of Murr Oasis, where the magic used to hide their valleys eroded in time."

The smoke from Najiyah's lamp is lit, and Jina arches her brow with practiced reservation. She has seen dozens of cheap parlor tricks from every manner of liar and cheat, after all, but this is something else. With Jina leaning forward over the table to speak in confidence and the new item being brought out onto the auction floor, her guards scarcely notice the illusion...or perhaps unexposed to its scented smoke they do not notice it. "You think I'll be impressed by smoke and poetry..." she begins haughtily, but her voice quickly trails off.

"Dangerous tales? Yes, yes of course," she agrees with a perplexed expression fading into bewilderment. Her voice is slow like honey. "The raiders were tall, either the most robust of men, jann, or some other tall race. They wore dark black abas (robes) and kaftans (tunics) and wielded scimitars and bows. They raided my caravan near Hakim Oasis before we reached Qaybar. It was a trap, for they lay in wait for us throughout the oasis, or so it seemed, emerging silently as if from the date palms and pools of water itself. They did not have strength of numbers, but they struck hard and fast. My men claimed that the raiders were as strong as ogres and seemed to glow from underneath their abas (robes), and we sustained many losses before we routed them. Thereupon, they fled into the desert twilight in every which direction, their tracks swallowed by the wind."[/SECTION]

 

[Foxbytes]

Satisfied that Salahuddin's charms and the lamp's incense had loosened Jina's tongue sufficiently, Najiyah tucked the oil lamp back into one of the many hidden pouches sewn into her colorful clothing.

"Thank you. I apologize for the lackluster quality of my act; next time, I will be sure to double my efforts to impress you better."

However, even as her words were addressed to Jina, Najiyah's attention had returned with intensity to Salahuddin. That strange feeling began to raise the small hairs on the back of her neck, as though she were about to be struck by lightning...what was it about him that made her so uneasy...?

She followed Salahuddin's line of sight to the auction dais, but was quick enough on the uptake not to let her eyes linger on the book in question. She gave the subtlest of nods to the emissary in understanding, then slipped another unseen item from her sleeves into Amina's hand.

OOC: [roll0] - Sleight of Hand; to transfer the writ into Amina's hands unseen.

As her fingertips graze Amina's hands, Najiyah's lips move slightly, but no sound can be heard.

[sblock=Message to Amina] Amina, you are the least likely of us to attract attention in this place. Bid on the book at auction now, and see if you can acquire it for not too high of a price.[/sblock]

 

[Shayuri]

Amina bows her head and accepts the writ, tucking it into the inside of her sleeve with a quick, fluid movement.

She then rises to her feet without a word and goes to join the bidding. She positions herself so she can see Najiyah, so as to get any indication that the bids have become too high.

 

[Thateous]

Akilah sat back confident that she had established the tone of the meeting. Looking around she noted Salhuddin's intrest in the spell book that just opened for bidding. She turned back to Jina and leaned in closer for a more private exchange. "Jina, The Ever So Bold, earlier you proposed that I allow your ship to dock. If I were to allow a small dhow entry what would it be worth to you?" She reaches over and grabs an apple. "Perhaps that book on auction?" Akilah muses as she removed a small dagger from her boot and began carving into the apple in a similar fashion as Jina did earlier.

Sent from my SM-G935P using EN World mobile app

 

[Quickleaf]

As Amina settles into a seat alongside the other bidders, two wiry men in barely presentable grey kaftans and spotty beards seat themselves just to her left. The one closest to her sits with his right arm folded across his waist, his hand at his belt, and his eyes straight ahead at the auction platform. The other glances past his companion, glaring at Amina with dark eyes and a slight twitch of his lip.

[SECTION]With scented smoke still trailing from Najiyah's fingers, even her "discrete" pass of the writ to Amina ends up being done with excessive flourish. Not only do Jina the Bold's eyes momentarily linger on the writ, but so do the eyes of several unsavory characters at the auction house. Jina notices the undesirable attention as well, squinting at Najiyah in silent reproach.

Leaning in along with Akilah, Jina the Bold begins to part her lips to object, but quickly silences herself. Her secret must remain safe. "I didn't realize the vizier took an interest in such arcane baubles. It's of little value to me," she lies to Akilah and herself, attempting to diminish the sting of the lost sale. "I am told it is worth over 600 dinars (gp); would giving it to your woman there at the opening bid price be satisfactory?" Surveying the auction floor, she signals two of her guards who advance toward the men nearby Amina, and two more to advance on others bidding for the spellbook.

Gesturing subtly to a tall beady-eyed man seated on the other side of the bidding "pit", the man who started the bidding on the spellbook, Jina whispers, "He is the merchant Fahad al-Zakir's man. I can sort out any others in the bidding, but Fahad al-Zakir is no man to trifle with. The others will nurse wounded pride and return next week, but to cross Fahad al-Zakir... It would not be wise for me, vizier."[/SECTION]

As the bidding rises to 400 dinars (gp), with Fahad al-Zakir's man in the lead, several guards approach bidders for the spellbook, asking them to leave. Two guards stand over the seedy looking men to Amina's left and usher them out of the auction house; one of them snarls and must be pushed out forcible. In their wake, Amina notices a tattered letter sitting on the empty seat of the one who was closest to her.

The only ones bidding for the spellbook now are Amina and Fahad al-Zakir's man.

 

[Shayuri]

Without fanfare, Amina scoots over into the now-vacant seat. It's hard to see if she picked that bit of paper up, or simply sat on it... (Sleight of Hand [roll0])

Somewhat pointedly ignoring the interference in the bidding up to this point, she simply continues to raise the amount in neat, tidy increments. She makes no attempt to 'game' the auction, gauging facial expressions or the like...she's content to simply continue raising until Najiyah or Akilah indicate things have gone too far, or all other bidders cease.

And should anyone attempt to remove her, well, she would cross that stretch of wasteland when she was confronted by it.

 

[Quickleaf]

[SBLOCK="Amina"]The letter reads...

My master, He of the Bronze Turban, Forger of Pacts, Master of the Empty Quarter, invites you to meet with him should you reach Qaybar.

Should you seek something in Qaybar, my master sees and knows all within that transpires within that city.

And above all he hungers for arcane lore and forgotten scrolls. Seek him in the Empty Quarter, also called the Smoke Medina.[/SBLOCK]

 

[Foxbytes]

Najiyah visibly winced, having the grace to look chagrined even before Jina's scornful look caught her eye. She could only offer an apologetic shrug.

She trusted that Amina would be able to handle any situation, or else the High Priest would not have sent her on such a delicately dangerous mission, but still...Najiyah felt wretched that her clumsiness had made the woman's job more difficult.

She should have known Akilah would come up with her own bargaining chip. She dared to hope things might still be settled quietly. She kept her eye on Amina with her fingers raised ever so slightly...signaling to hold back on the bidding war, but she also drew a small circle in the air, indicating to draw the bidding out as much as possible; just on the unlikely chance that Akilah was unable to seal the deal.