A Push of the Fates.... Zakhara... You Jewel!

Game Master Insnare

Inside the bag there are a lot of books

Oh yes, you did not go in depth into the bag of holding(you looked inside so you could tell that it is one. Anyone else want to speak to the clerk?

The clerk says, "I will send a patrol to the address to verify your story. The Sultana of Hiyal, Hiyal is a bit of a trek. This sorcerer was definitely eating the wrong dates."

Heh, bad dates.

Fadilah looks at the titles of the books while the group is talking to the clerk.

Fadilah

"Hey, everyone, I found the assassin's plans to kill the Calipha and her family! We should definitely turn these over."

We turn the plans over, but keep copies in case we are running up against corrupt collaborators again.

The clerk thanks you for the information and tells you that if there are any questions or anything needs to be followed up on, he will get in contact with the wharfmaster and leave a message.

I imagine your characters would like to retire to your ship for the night and then we can move this forward.

You go back to your ship fore it is evening or you grab some food at a local mateam or restaurant and you retire for the evening. The fare is well made and better than most of the meals you had out in the desert during your journey.

The night goes by without any events, however around six in the morning Raschad the man you saved from Yodfah's Sakina Falls Winery wakes you and says, "There is a very large messenger here to see you."

At the Ship

"Wow first Time I have been on a ship or seen....Ocean? Right its an ocean?" he whistles as Frackit eats." I mostly saw sand, forest and snow. Oh and you know evil wizards on Foulwings" The gnome shared over food. Which was nice to well have some since of Stability.

Later

"I believe we have a guest!" Frackit exclaims as he adjusts his gear and smiles.

Zariah loves sleeping on the ship and the movement of the water. She doesn't so much like people waking her up this early though. She sighs, and gets dressed quickly, then goes out on deck to see who the "very large messenger" is.

Nura is right at home on the ship and enjoys a comforting sleep in the bosom of the water. So comfortable that she barely awakens to Raschad's prompting.

The large slightly blueish hued man that has the torso of a giant and the whispy air tail of a djinn, has a curled mustache that on a mortal would probably have been waxed, his torso is covered by a yellow vest and a flowing undershirt. He has a very tightly wound orange turban with a very large roc feather in it being held in place by a very large sapphire.

As your group stare at him from above and because of his genie kind, you assume he could fly up to you but is remaining at the gangplank mostly for respect. He then uses an archaic greeting "Sabaahul khayr, mayeth the Loregiver smile upon ye, mine name is Rasul and I would like to have an audience with ye on the behest of mine master."

Fadilah, feel free to give me a genie lore roll.

Genie Lore (<= 16): 1d20 ⇒ 3

Frackit looked up slack jawed as he blinkedthen looked at the others.'Question is this normal? Cause.." he points at the messenger and then back to the group.

'...Seems like I'm Hallucinating?" Frackit says having not seen one something like this in the realms.

Fadilah was only too happy to get some sleep, even if it's aboard a rocking ship. She does like the sea, so she lets it rock her to pleasant dreams...

... only to awaken suddenly when Raschad comes to collect the group in the early dawn. She sits up in a start, pushes her tousled hair back with her hands, then suddenly pulls the blanket up to cover her body and blushes intensely. She grabs a garment to pull on quickly and then makes her way out to see the blue genie with the rest of the team.

Near the gangplank, Fadilah curtseys to the genie and replies, "Loregiver smile upon thee, we are pleased to receive the missive of thy master."

Fadilah

First in response to Frackit, Rasul says, "No, thou artn't hallucinating. Wẹ̄ areth uncommon but normal in oure infrequency."

After all are in attendance, he starts, "Mine master, whom I follow out of love not compulsion has been stolen from, from his soul's core. A dastardly plot that robbed his mind. Mine master is the learned mathematician marabout dwarf and holy follower of Zann the Learned, whose grace mightst grant upon ye any favor ye mayeth wish."

The genie taps his fingers on the wooden rail and he continues, "Mine master in spite of his predicament hath a plan. Would ye follow me and meeteth mine master, I beseech youre help in this matter."

Zairiah wishes that they would have had time to rest and shop and ... finish things that they had started, but she didn't see a way around helping someone in need.

Glory to Zann. I am inclined to help, but I must ask... why would you come to us for help? How does your master know of us?

"Oh okay, Do you know of Daggerdale? Thats where I am originally from. Genies are....rare" Frackit adds as he then scratches his head.

"I'll let the natives weigh in for the rest as Zann, Dwarves and Mathematician are all odd" The tiny cleric has said.

Rasul pulls at the left mustache straightens is out and then lets it recurl and says, "Daggerdale, oh thou meaneth Wadi Alkhinjar, yes mine deceased master bade mine coming on a journey up north. Zakhara is the shining emerald of the Realms. She shineth brighter than the deepest of waters, her winters are truly of the never kind and our falls drop sharper than the sharpest jambiya."

He then looks at Zairiah and says, "Mine master had cometh to Mosque of Zann in Muluk and the great and wise Mullah Hanoushin saideth that ye art those he placeth his trust in and mine master bade me come and find ye."

Zairiah bows and looks around to make sure everyone wants to do this, and if Fadilah considers it an obligation. If everyone is okay with it, then she agrees to follow.

Fadilah says to her team, "If this genie's master is a learned scholar, and so benevolent that this genie has undertaken to serve him of his own accord, then surely he must be a man of virtue who is deserving of our aid."

Nura nods her agreement, still rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

Rasul says, "Mine master cameth to mine own aide as I lain in a coma. Mine enemies hath followed me across the Court of Ice and Steel, Maztica to Zakhara but mine Master found me with Haschischim above me jambiya im palm to end me and he hath snapped his neck as I awoke."

He then says, "I beg ye pardons for waking you in the morn. Mine master awaits you as the sun arrive at this day's zenith at the Mosque of Zann in his chamber there."

figured to let you go shopping if you want.

I think Keraji told us he would have news for us this afternoon as well... but hopefully that was just when we could meet the Calipha,

Zairiah bows and says

We will meet you there.

Your group goes to the bazaars that you need to, to pick up the items you feel will augment and improve your adventuring equipment, not knowing what shall be coming your way soon. Just take off whatever you want to buy from your money. Fadi, if you want to identify the new things you have found, please make the rolls.

After getting some food in the market you make your way to the Mosque of Zann where you have met Hanoushin a few times. You are led to a corner reserved for scientific discovery, there are beakers, flasks, strange copper and nickel tubing everywhere. Chemicals, herbs and braziers and the smell of burning incense as well as other things. Sitting at a desk and blotter with a very whispy greenish purple quill feather and a parchment you see a middle-aged dwarf with a blotchy red beard with large flecks of grey wearing a green fez. He looks desheveled, dejected and looks as if he may have been weeping recently. Rasul looks even more concerned and the genie, coughs and says, "Zann be praised, ye hath come. This is mine master, Hafiz ben
Wasil al-Adad, renown-ed mathematician."

Greetings. I am Zairiah, and these are my companions, Fadilah, Nura, Frackit, and Paritosh. Can you tell us a little more about your trouble, and your plan?

The dwarf looks up and says, "Praise be Zann the Learn-ed! It is pleasure to meet you. My trouble is that I can no longer understand mathematics what-so-ever, which is tragic considering I am mathematician by profession. I no longer even understand numbers
that others speak. Even more troubling, with the loss
of my learning has come the loss of my priestly
abilities. All that remains to me now is relative sums. Much vs. little. It is all so frustrating. What I have pieced together by talking with Hanoushin is that I am victim to genie contract."

He stops and coughs with his face all red with embarrassment and proffers, "I apologize for being such poor host. Would you nice people like some lamb kebabs and mint tea?"

For those of you who want either tea or kebabs or both, he has them brought from the bazaar. He says, "The story goes this way, merchant who came to me in the form of human male named Okous al-Makr Aga. He said to me 'Learned alim, I would give anything to have all
your skill with sums' and I responded that it requires only faith—and perhaps a small donation for him to gain my skill. I told him to give whatever
he wished to the mullah of the mosque, Hanoushin, and to return to me the next morning to learn what he had wished to know. The whole conversation did not strike me as strange at the time but when Okous returned, I thought he would start studying with me fore I have had many students over years. However, after thanking me he vanished in a cloud of dust."

Genie Lore

So instead of learning from you, he somehow took your skill? And the conditions were faith and a small donation. Did Hanoushin accept a donation? I wonder what the genie had faith in... his ability to steal your skill perhaps, rather than faith in Zann, which of course is what you meant.

Fadilah, are there any rules for genies in this? Can we appeal to a higher authority, or is there another way to dissolve the contract?

If Fadilah doesn't know, we could ask the genies that have bound themselves to serve us... we still have those, right?

The dwarf says, "I thought I would teach him the skill. Yes Hanoushin did accept very little from him. I cannot remember the exact amount and could not even say the word anyways. My main concern is not for me but for my children. I think those already born won't be affected but those still unborn may also be cursed."

Wait, what? You mean he stole the ability to do math from your entire family?

The dwarf sobs with emotion and says, "That is what Rasul has told me about this kind of Genie Contract."

He then says, "Under normal circumstances I would go myself but I am in no shape to haggle nor negotiate. I have lost my ability to call upon Zann the Great and Learned to help me. I cannot read the formulae to open the Nexus to the Great Dismal Delve. I hate to be forced to call on others to assist me in my time of need."

He then coughs and continues, "Would your group be willing to assist me by going to Okous' home in the Great Dismal Delve and get my math skill back for me. I do not care if you pay him or get it back by any other means you deem necessary to do it. If you do this for me I will give you lots of wealth, few of my secret calculations and teach you my arts and methodology."

"So Zann, the Learned. No offense, but I am still new to this land and the gods who are worshipped here." Frackit says as he steps forward to look at the dwarf.

"I am curious as to what would cause Zann to deny you a loyal servant spell. Though I guess maybe they want you to try and learn from this." Frackit strokes his mustache,

[b]" Look either way, whoever did this probably wanted your attention. As for Pranks, well, this is more a Kobold type trick than any gnomish gag I know." Frackit says with a warm sincere smile,

" As for this Dismal Delve, what do you need for it?" he says as he tries to be considerate.

"The Great Dismal Delve?" says Fadilah. She hugs herself as if suddenly chilled. "Well... this dao has certainly taken terrible advantage of a loophole. I did not even realize that this sort of thing was possible. I wonder how one would trick him into reversing it?"

"Offer him a skill or knowledge one doesn't possess. And with magic, he cannot discern lie from truth." Frackit says as he smiles.

"Say, Master Hafiz, do you have any magical tomes and scrolls for such wonders?" Frackit asks his mind, turning with possible cons to aid a man who was tricked.

"Well, I suppose this is why I tend to avoid contracts with Genies," Paritosh says with a small chuckle, leaning back slightly as he strokes his chin thoughtfully. "They always seem to get a bit too... entangled. This one has turned out quite a pickle. I’ve been warned for years about the trickery of these creatures, but I must admit, I never thought I would get involved in such a convoluted affair."

He glances at the others with a rueful grin. "But, as usual, if you all are going to be so noble and brave, I’ll not abandon you. After all, I don’t suppose I can let my companions face a powerful genie alone, especially when the stakes are as high as they are. But, mark my words, once this is over, I’ll stick to contracts that don’t involve beings of fire and smoke. I prefer my enemies more... straightforward."

Fadilah, do you think that the genies in our service would be able to help?

"Noble, maybe not so much as to hopefully catch him with his pants down" Frackit reframes for the elf, a large smile across his face.

"Do you all have Poetic Justice here? Cause that's what I hope for over actual brute force." Frackit says, contemplating on the whole ordeal,

' Though Genies and Planes aren't my bailiwick"

Hafiz says, "My magic comes from my skill with sums. Without it I cannot figure out the formulae. I have scrolls and books with formulae."

He then opens a chest and says, "This book has the formula to find the next Nexus to the Great Dismal Delve."

Fadilah, do you think that the genies in our service would be able to help?

"Maybe... the Great Dismal Delve is realm of the dao. Having our friends with us may draw attention, but they might also be some protection against exploitation by genies of limited power, who would otherwise amuse themselves by harassing mortals," says Fadilah.

"I am curious as to the exact nature of the contract that was signed. It seems likely a trick of some sort that afforded the genie his opportunity to steal what he wished under some kind of false pretext. Swindling it back in a similar way would be called for. After all, he would argue if hauled before a genie noble, he only entered a binding agreement with a mortal and upheld it; both parties agreed to it! It does not matter that the results clearly did not match what the mortal expected: 'let the buyer beware.' So, a genie noble would likely take a dim view of mortal interlopers responding with violence. We would need to find a way to trick him into giving it back, or of putting him into a position where he offers to right matters because he is in such distress that he will offer anything to escape."

Hafiz says, "I did not sign anything. He most likely cast magic before coming to see me. I did not know he was Dao because he was disguised as human."

"Then more of Trap than a trick.Not good." He says as he strokes his mustache.

"What exactly did you say to him? Your precise words."

Hafiz says, "The conversation went like this: Okous had said “Learned alim, I would give anything to have all
your skill with sums.” I then responded exactly:
“It requires only faith—and perhaps a small
donation—for you to gain my skill. Give whatever
you wish to the mullah of the mosque, and come here
in the morning to learn what you wish to know.'” at that point he bade me farewell and returned the next day, thanked me and disappeared in a cloud of sand."

Interesting. He did say "learn" and not "take" ... there should be a distinction there.

Fadilah nods slowly.

"I think that I can work with this."

Hafiz says, "So this brings me to the ask. Could you go in my stead and get my ability back from Okous. How you go about it, is up to you. Please take Rasul with you, if you try to buy it back from him, Rasul has gold for the purpose. Do you agree?"

We agree to try. We can't guarantee success.

Maybe the distinction didn't need to be made, but all of this talk of genies' tricks and exact wording of contracts might have made Zairiah a little paranoid.

Fadilah sighs and says, "The Great Dismal Delve is where dao reside, I believe it is connected to the Elemental Plane of Earth. It is not coterminus with our world. So, we need to travel there and back somehow. That kind of magic is... a bit beyond me."