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With a few victories under their belts, Ren takes the chance to celebrate. Using some of his unspent coin he acquired a couriers outfit and some jewelry to match. Consumes Umberto's wine and feast go down smooth but Ren stops before reaching an excess.
Ren things back to the Venture Captains warnings regarding the Society's reputation, and his desire for favors in the bank."Remaio, it appears you are doing well currently. What further goals will you accomplish with the Alcasti name restored and with the noble title?"
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Bielsi has far too much respect for the dead to steal from a dead god. Death was often not an end and the last thing he needs is a reborn god coming after him for blasphemous theft.
He enjoys dinner, though does not dress up for it. He samples everything, demonstrating to the spirit in his subconscious the joys of life, at least vicariously. She, for her part mocks him and reminds him of what will come of it, and him.
"The fact that I 'appear' to be doing well is part of the process to apply for nobility, my dear Ms. Fireblessed. In fact, our family's finances are not what they were back in our days of nobility. Most of us had to sell their holdings and many even moved to other countries."
Turning to Frostwind, he says, "If we re-establish ourselves as nobles then yes, we may be so lucky as receive a lang grant by the Crown, or at least live out the rest of our days in honor as landless peers with some kind of assigned duty in service of Taldor."
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Yuukyou flips over a card and nods.
Better to be landless and with honor, than all the riches in the world without.
He tosses the card on the table...
The desert. A good omen for one who has been cast aside into the wastes and seeks his way out, for the sphinx represents salvation. Perhaps we will be that sphinx in the end.
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Distraction
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"Your ancestor worked hard and with honor. I am sure that she did not do it for the accolades or position," Bielsi says, though he's not sure of that at all. She would not have been the first, nor the last to do good deeds to earn earthly rewards.
"Still, she has earned her reward in the afterlife but it is unfair for mortal powers to rob her of the reward she was given in this world. As her descendant that inheritance falls to you and I will do what I can to ensure that justice is done for the living in honor of the dead."
Following the next morning's meeting with Father Basri (see post above for those who missed it), you can spend the day shopping or attending personal matters. In the evening, Remaio comes and finds you all at your regular meeting place, and lets you know the next mission will be in a few days and in Qadira.
You have thus a few days to prepare or enjoy some well-deserved downtime. When Remaio sends for you, a meeting is arranged at the lodge.
He tells you that years ago, he sold an exquisite sword to the Qadiran Ghazali family in a desperate bid to earn easy coin. Although the sword allegedly once belonged to Honaria Alcasti, claims of its magical properties were, in Remaio’s estimation, fiction. Struggling to stay afloat in a state of near-poverty, Remaio delivered the blade to Qadira and never looked back.
A few months ago, everything changed. Remaio’s research into Honaria’s life led him to the church of Aroden. The church’s records detailed a powerful intelligent item gifted to the brave Honaria: a sword matching the description of the one he sold.
Remaio arranges your next leg of the trip as usual and you all enjoy an uneventful trip to Omash. The guards at the city’s main gates help you find the Ghazali family manor. The luxurious estate lies on the outskirts of Omash, outside of the fortress-city’s towering walls.
Instead, the property uses its own walls for protection. The two-story building boasts intricately patterned stone floors, rich wall hangings, and floor-to-ceiling windows. A sandstone wall decorated with geometric mosaics surrounds the opulent Ghazali manor. Through the brass front gates, white cobblestone paths wind through a garden of flowering cacti and acacia trees to the manor’s entrance. A pair of guards clad in polished armor flanks the heavy wooden door to the residence.
A guard stationed at the door intercepts you and leads the group to Lady Ghazali’s study. The domed ceiling of this grand room soars above red and white tiles whose pattern resembles roses in bloom. Between the mahogany bookshelves that line the chamber, suits of armor stand at attention. An empty weapon rack faces the doorway.
Arajida al-Fakhiri, Lady Ghazali, a middle-aged Keleshite woman, sits alone with her head in her hands. She greets you all, but her pleasantries fall flat, and her eyes are slightly bloodshot. When the group shows her Remaio’s documents, she acknowledges that she owns the sword, and looks up to you, awaiting your questions.
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Yuukyou flips through his cards, muttering to himself as they travel. As they speak to the Lady of the manner, he tucks his cards away into his case.
Ma'am, we wish to retrieve the sword. Are you willing to let us? We can provide some sum of gold, or our services if necessary. We are trained and bloodied adventurers after all. We're surprisingly handy.
She melts in sobs. After a few long moments, she wipes her eyes with a handkerchief, and says, "I woke this morning to find My son, Aayef, gone and the sword missing. He barely even knows how to use it. It was supposed to go to my eldest daughter...”
"My guards looked everywhere within our walls... I don't know... if you have able trackers, perhaps start outside our walls? if there is a trail, and the gods are with us, perhaps the wind has not filled his footsteps with sand yet..."
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"Do you know where he might have taken it? I assume he has dreams of being a hero or an adventurer. Is there someplace he spoke of exploring or some villain he spoke of defeating? Is your daughter still here?" Bielsi asks, frowning at the news. Not only has the item they came to look for gone missing, but also there might be a young man who has put himself in danger, now.
The lady resumes her sobbing, and a handmaid attends her, while the butler politely points the door to you all.
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Frostwind ponders for a moment then speaks up.
"Logic dictates that if the young boy is not in the manor he must have left it. A walled compound usually has one gate, maybe two, but he must have not used the regular exit or his mother would know so, by now. So if he isn´t here and didn´t use the main gate, there must be another way to leave this area! We should search the walls for marks of a ladder or something like that!"
Ren easily finds the boy's tracks in the sand once you are at the back of the estate; the trail begins at a gap under the wall. Bielsi finds a piece of bright fabric sticking out of the sand right where the trail begins.
Aayef ’s trail leads three miles east to the sand blasted ruins of a circular building. Chunks of wall and broken pillars stand as the last testament to what was once a shrine to Sarenrae. Rubble covers some areas (highlighted in red), creating difficult terrain. The dais (area C2) is not covered in rubble.
Umberto, next to you:
A chunk of twisted deadwood rests atop a pile of ashes in the lee of a fallen stone column. Cinders surrounding the driftwood suggest a recent fire.
Further ahead, you see steps ascending the wreckage to a smooth stone dais. A cracked stone shrine stands before the eastern wall. Bones and other detritus litter the floor around the altar.
More importantly, you also see a giant scorpion which seems to have surprised the young Aayef as he began exploring the site. The beast proved more than a match for the young noble and is about to finish him off when you approach.
Round 1: (bold may go)
Umberto
Frostwind
Ren
Kim
Yuukyou
Bielsi
Aayef
GIANT SCORPION
The giant scorpion wheels around to face the incoming (larger) threat.
"Don't run away from me, MONSTER!" screams Aayef, boldly staggering back to his feat and raising the shining sword in the giant scorpion's direction. The scorpion's attention is divided and hesitates who to strike first.
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Yuukyou runs forward...
and makes a sharp left turn.
BOY! DON'T DO ANYTHING STUPID!
He dances up and down on the sand as he shouts out.
Come on you big mindless chunk of Chitin! Come and get a taste of Varisian! We come pre-spiced!
He mutters to himself as he keeps moving...
Probably should heed my own advice!
Bielsi's bolt bounces off the creature's thick bony hide.
The boy attempts to plunge the shining sword into the monster's side with a Qadiran battle cry!
for dmg. [HITS!]
The mindless creature hisses in pain but still abandon the boy for his newest quarry. He moves to Ren, pincers raised, and attempts to clamp into her!
for dmg and for additional constrict dmg. [HITS, grappled]
The giant scorpion nearly severs Ren in half. It releases her dying, bleeding form on the ground...
[Ren dying at -4 hp]
Aayef screams at the beast, "MONSTER! I WILL KILL YOU!!". Even though the boy is wincing in pain with injuries, you all note that he fully intends to keep battling the scorpion. You also note that the scorpion has received a few well-placed longsword strikes already.
The giant scorpion hisses in pain as the chemical fire burns deep into its nooks and crannies!
Round 1: (bold may go)
Umberto
Frostwind
Ren [dying, -4 HP]
Kim
Yuukyou
Bielsi
Aayef [many injuries]
GIANT SCORPION [some injuries, plus 16 so far]