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

[Quickleaf]

"I don't think they can be trusted, however, I only seek to use them as far as they seek to use me. These raiders successfully attack fully guarded caravans and I'm curious how they'd fair against a caravan full of their own kind." turning to the rawuna, Akilah asks, "Could you share a tale or two?"

[SECTION]Bowing her head obsequiously, Dulcet Riqqiyah begins to tell a tale at the vizier's bequest. Despite the many months she has been in the Sheikh's employ, the rawuna continues to confound Akilah's attempts to divine her intentions or true nature. Yet neither has she made enemies nor shown any ill-disposition toward the Sheikh or his court, content to be the Sheikh's entertainer and storyteller. "O vizier, there is one story that comes to mind now, carried on the winds from the Haunted Lands..."

"Once, in the time of our fathers and grandfathers, there was war in the northern reaches of our Grand Caliph's land. Great armies of dao beat upon drums made of vishap (sand dragon) hide, ushering in thunderstorms which shook the heavens and toppled mountaintops. One of these fierce dao was named Ynadin, who was also known as the Riddling Dao. It was said he would grant a wish to anyone who could stump the dao with a riddle. But each pilgrim who failed met a fate more dire than the last..."

Dark eyes rimmed by kohl, Dulcet Riqqiyah strums idly on her oud to accompany the tale. "Three brothers of a great desert tribe ventured into the desert to seek out Ynadin. Blessed with gifts of valor and cunning, armed with magical blades, and with a banner of soldiers at their backs, the three brothers were assured they would succeed where others had not. Ynadin appeared to them on their third night in the desert, emerging from the very cliffs themselves, sending boulders crashing down to trap the soldiers in a narrow pass. "You stand before greatness, mortal brothers. Now offer me your riddles three."

"The eldest brother stepped forward first hesitantly, exchanging looks with his brothers. He brought a riddle which he was sure would stump a genie of the mountains, and gathering his courage he spake thus:

"What can run but never walks,
Has a mouth but never talks,
Has a head but never weeps,
Has a bed but never sleeps?"

"Long-lived as the dao was, Ynadin only laughed scornfully, for he knew the answer at once. "A river! And so shall you become like to your riddle...running, never walking, speaking and never talking, never weeping, never sleeping..." Thereupon the elder brother's legs bent awkwardly like an animal's and a second mouth formed at the back of his head, and though he tried to scream and wail only scornful laughter came from his voice. "Ask your next riddle, if you dare!" commanded Ynadin.

"The middle brother then stepped forward, determined to spare his elder sibling a terrible fate. He had no riddle prepared, but seeing that Ynadin was bald from scalp to torso, he devised a riddle on the spot:

"Thousands of us all around you.
We protect you all the time,
Yet you treat us badly...
You burn us in public buildings
to make you seem better;

You try to make us straight,
but most of us refuse usually;

When we are dead, you are pleased.
Yet, when we are gone, you are sad.

What are we?"

Yet Ynadin only puzzled briefly before deducing the answer, for his enemies were the yakfolk covered in mangy fur. "Hair. The answer is hair," proclaimed he, most devious and heartless of dao. Thereupon, the middle brother cried out, and began to sprout hair all over his body, his face contorted in horror."

"Thus, the youngest brother was compelled to give his riddle, though fear clawed at him and addled his wits. Looking about, he found signs of bones gnawed upon by hyenas, whose tracks marked the sands. He presented this riddle:

"My smile is the last thing you'll see,
My laugh the last thing you'll hear,
All my kin are just as friendly."

"Voice booming with cruel laughter, Ynadin said, "Foolish youth! The answer is a hyena! And so you have sealed your fate and that of your brothers and men..." Thereupon, the youngest brother collapsed with a wail, and he and his brothers, and all the soldiers who followed them were turned into hyenas, cursed to walk as men during the day, but assume their bestial form at night. And so Ynadin is served to this day by these half-men half-beasts."

With that, Dulcet Riqqiyah ends her sad tale.[/SECTION]

 

[tglassy]

Harun grins at the bard, "Sounds like they should have studied their riddles better."

A coin appeared in Harun's hand. He flipped it over his fingers silently, contemplating. "The safest route for us would be to turn it down, then. Either it would make of them a foe, or it would reveal them as one. Either way, they are a foe.

"However," he said with his characteristic grin, "the gamble would be to accept. It's a greater risk, as the outcome is uncertain. But the potential payout is so much more."

He flipped the coin in the air and caught it. "It is my council that we accept. We can be ready if they betray us, but if they are sincere we gain much. Otherwise, we gain nothing, and I always prefer the potential to gain over simply remaining the same."

 

[Matthan]

Husam returns to look over the map and listens intently. It is not his place to speak in the Sheikh's court unless called upon. However, he knows his preference. Harun spoke of taking the risk of trusting the Haras al-Sirri, but Husam saw it differently. He valued certainty. The only way to know the truth of their words and the intentions of their heart was to test them. If their hearts were blackened towards betrayal of the Sheikh, then that will be discovered and their threat can be decisively dealt with so that the Sheikh has one less enemy conspiring against him. If their words are true, then the Sheikh has gained an ally to bolster his rule. There was no advantage to ignoring their offer. To do so would be to either spurn a potential friend and create an enemy or to invite your enemy to stay in the shadows and scheme where you cannot watch them.

Husam waited. His instincts were clear to him, but his Sheikh was wise and may have clarity that Husam lacked.

 

[Quickleaf]

[SECTION]Hearing the keen counsel about him, Sheikh Ali struggles with his own prejudices against any remnant of the wicked Sultan-Mage who his father overthrew at great cost. For several heartbeats, he stands with furrowed brows, a brooding expression upon his middle-aged face. At last he relents. "Nor do I trust these men, even less so if they be accursed beasts, but I do trust you, my dear vizier," he gazes at Akilah tenderly, and then nods to the rest of you, acknowledging that it is better to keep one's friends close and one's enemies closer.

"It is settled then. In the morning, you will gather your...retainers...and meet with my sister's son, Ajan bin Najon al-Yaqud, who will see to your camels and apprise you of recent conditions on the caravan routes. While Ajan and I have our differences, know one knows the High Desert better. I wish I could see the look on his face when you tell him you seek the Badu al-Kabir. My tribesmen do not venture there. Old superstitions die hard," he offers with a gentle look of reproach for the backwards ways of his tribe that Sheikh Ali has elevated himself above.[/SECTION]

 

[Ancalagon]

Lal looked pensively at Dulcet Riqqiyah during her tale, hands stroking his beard as he ate more dates - such gifts were not to be refused! After the Sheikh announced his edict, he stood up and bowed.

"Very well oh most wise potentate. We shall be ready for treachery, and looking for allies - perhaps it *is* time for redemption for the Haras al-Sirri. Time will tell, as it always does." Lal turns to the others and nods to each in term, looking at them firmly in the eye as he squared his shoulders. His size became more apparent - although he was not tall, he was barrel chested and his arms were strong. "I am ready to depart - the road is never far from my feet.".

 

[Thateous]

"Ambitious brothers cursed by a riddling Dao, forced into banditry due to their untrustworthy appearance, possibly seeking a payday, redemption, or revenge. No one said this would be a simple trot into the desert. We are presented with trials before our first step outside of Tajar." she turns to Dulcet Riqqiyah and bows her head slightly, "Thank you for the story. I feel it will be invaluable to us in the near future." she then turns to her father. "Father I must turn in for the night. I must meditate and prepare for the long journey ahead of us. Do you require anything more of me?"

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[Quickleaf]

[SECTION]While Dulcet Riqqiyah bows coyly, knowing just as well when to fall silent as when to speak, the Sheikh gestures to his personal scribe who hands the Sheikh a small scroll case. Sheikh Ali rubs a ringed thumb over his thick brow, weary from the many audiences of his day. "There is but one more thing I require of you, daughter, and that is for you to receive my blessing." Placing his hand upon Akilah's shoulder, he murmurs a prayer passed down from his tribe since their time in the desert, "May the skies part, may wind be at your back, may your steps be filled with sweet rain, and may you never forget your way home." Sheikh Ali kisses his other hand and places it gently on Akilah's forehead.

Handing the scroll case to Husam, the Sheikh gives his loyal half-orc guard a nod of understanding and respect. A glance at the scroll reveals it to be a smaller facsimile of the larger map unfurled on the Sheikh's war table.

"Gather your strength and rest well tonight. The baths and gardens of the palace shall remain open to you for contemplation and renewal," he says to the gathered company. "My nephew Ajon will meet you at the western gate at sunrise. Go in peace."[/SECTION]

GM: I can do a scene transition to the next day whenever you all want. Feel free to role-play the evening as much or as little as you like. If there's anything you want to do OOC, let me know that to. Take note of your prepared spells (and let me know), if you're a spell preparing type. Salahuddin's gen will return in the morning with the magic circle spell.

 

[VLAD the Destroyer]

Salahuddin listens to the rawuna's tale. The Doa were cruel and malicious. The genies of the Great Delve delighted in the misfortune of other especially if they are the cause of the pain. Salahuddin had heard similar tales During his studies with the venerable Fatima.

As for the deal with the Haras al-Sirri, Salahuddin did not trust them. They would only honor the deal as long as it was advantageous to them. They would seek opportunities to betray the group. They would need to be wary and keep an eye on these were-hyenas.

As the sheikh agreed to the deal with the Haras al-Sirri Salahuddin's attention to the spellbook. He opened his eldritch sight granted him by the Great Caliph of the Djinn and looked at the book. He studied the cover looking for any signs that the book had any magical properties.

 

[Ancalagon]

Lal entered one of the smaller baths and dismissed the servants. Alone, he disrobed, setting aside his much mended robes, the armor with scales from nearly a half a dozen smiths, and his other possessions. The axe of sorrow was in easy reach.

He stepped forward, back and arms covered in old scars, and sat on the water for a while, remembering the long nights he had done this over the endless sea, pushed by the waves.... up and down, up and down, like one's fortunes in life.

But this wasn't the ocean, it was a bath. No waves, and the water was warmer and devoid of salt. With a smirk, Lal removed the ring and finally sank into the water. Tomorrow would bring its problems, now time to rest.

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[Shayuri]

Amina stays with Akilah, attending to the tasks servants do. She draws the water for the bath, with a little scented oil. She sets the bedclothes out so that the vizier will have them close at hand when she is ready. She turns down the lamps around the outside of the chamber, so that Akilah has only the lamp near the bath and bed to turn down herself to be ready for sleep.

It is, she thinks, a rather pleasant way to serve Hakiyah, overall. To consider the needs of another person, rather than the threat of them. In the shadows of the Soft Whisper, it was often easy to forget what the world looked like in the light. Maybe too easy. Would it soften the edge of the sisters to ask them to accept more mundane duties from time to time? Something to think on.

"Do you need anything else, Honored?" she asked quietly through the screen while Akilah was still in her bath.