So the PCs traipse a bit more through the shattered landscape of the plane of molten skies in search of the Obsidian Angel, which they find through judicious use of some scrying magic and praying to the gods for direction.
Once there they meed the Genie encased in ebon glass and have a little talk with it before deciding if they should break it free or not.
Unsure of who to trust, the PCs are wary of getting hosed by NPCs. I can't say I blame them, tho to be fair they have met a decent number of helpful folks (Just as happened in ANY and EVERY oldschool game... doubters be damned!)
(I say this by way of making a point, what were henchmen if not PC allies earned through quest and deed?) Certainly didn't need to waist a feat on pet rocks back in the day! Hah. Well it so happens one of our many austere design goals was to incorporate some PC allies and some PC bases into the City of Brass. Not everyone will play the various adventure settings laid out in a "Path" as it were. Some prefer just to use the product as a platform to explore right?
Anyhow they find that the Genie was a rebel against the current Sultan or some such and that he commands an army of 20,000 undead jan locked into a wall. Pretty much the contingent of jan who cose NOT to become burning dervishes and were slain.
The freed genie tells the PCs that he will wait for a sign that forces are moving against the Sultan and have his undead minions prepared to storm and hold the Kubri Al Azim (the great gates) and Obsidian bridge, insuring escape at very least for civillians and visitors wishing to flee the city, and also to keep others from rushing to the aid of the Sultan via the gates. Good Plan, the PCs like it and head back to the City, and Back specifically to the City of The Dead Sultana.
The Salt Lich tells the PCs how to get into the tomb but warns them of dangers and obstacles along the way. Specifically that there are some great traps designed to punish those unworthy of gazing upon the radiance of the long dead Sultana. He also mentions that they NOT molest her corpse in any way or they will be destroyed.
The PCs take his word for it and his vague references and make to the Palace like Tomb (Modeled somewhat after the Taj Mahal)
Working their way through the palace/tomb they explore its many wonders. I'd love to tell you all about them, but this level is one of my favorites from a "you should really read/play or experience" it point of view so nyaa nyaa nyaa.
Needless to say they get into Oriazer the Solar Dragon's chamber where he lies sleeping and rouse him from his slumber with an unbelievably good performance roll via the 1/2 Djinn bard Kitiara. The dragon examines them, to determine if they are friend or foe and wonders why he has been awakened since he intended to sleep forever, just as his beautiful Sultana has done.
They tell him that they wish to have an audience with her so he directs them to the chamber where they can find the secret portal leading to her tomb...
Yeah and the Camera Obscura with the Plates for the Deck of Many Things.
Now... I have some POWER hungry POWER gamers in this squad. I kid you not, they are all about the juice. More juice the better. Big bouncy bonuses, enhancing items, enhancing stats. They want it all. I can't blame them this is big time stuff and I keep thinking to myself... The final couple encounters in this adventure are just plain all out HARD if not done correctly or of the right level to take on the last few big and bad guys... and these guys still have a heck of a long ways to go to get there.
Sooo being chaotic minded in nature and wanting to be even greater for his god... who draws first? and how many cards? You guessed it Elandrin draws first. ANd he pulls literally ALL awesome cards. HE gets himself a fates card (avoid any action), he gets himself a stat boosting card. He gets himself 50,000 experience ... which as i look at it later is a total gaff/oversight on the part of 3.5 developers considering what the actual scale of XP in 3.5 IS. DOH. That card should just auto grant 1 level and thats it. I'm nice, I let Elandrin level up one, and bank some xp for when he hits epic level and wants to use epic spell seeds to develop his powers.
So yah... Next up? Barnabus. Seeing the bueno cards that his fellow cleric pulled he thinks he's gonna get more of the same and he does. He's pulling 4 cards, grabs A stat bonus card right away but then pulls the fool... dherka derrr... but pulls fates! Yay avoid the fool card! Right? 4th card? Talons baby. Naked as a JAY in his 4th outing with us and NO gear at all.
Which was fine because some of the gear his (other) D&D group had picked out for him was broken as broken can be.
So one other party member wants to play (Konn is gone this session and we are about wrapping things up) Rhy of course. Doesn't get any particularly BAD cards, doesn't get any particularly GOOD cards, but does manage to pull the card that opens the passage to the Sultanas Lair. ALL good. They decide to wait for the other players to join up with them on the following week.
I'll give you a "hint" as to how this turns out for them. Hint: Konn wants to pull cards too.
3 other players flatly refuse to draw (Kitiara, Ard, and SamQ2) heck no, too much bad compared to the good in messing with fate like that. See people would whine and gripe about the deck of many things being so horribly unfair. To me it's core rules D&D to the bone because nobody MAKES you draw from the deck if you dont want to (Well except ME in this particular encounter, but I've been accused of not being very NICE (even though I'm fairly affable) hahaha) I'm sure a nicer DM could houserule some cheese in there to figure out a different way into the tomb if they felt like it

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Of particular Note: With the level up that ol Elandrin got, he can now cast True Resurrection thanks to the big pile of XPs he just "found laying around".
Also, most of the jewelry stores in the COB at this time are fresh out of diamonds because the pcs blew what remained of any loot that wasnt spent on magic items on ... Diamonds hahaa! Good fun.
Case