"Ah! Foul beast! I cannot seem to pierce the scales while this thing has me in its clutches!"
Zaheed hacks at the meddlesome creature, knowing the urgency of killing it before its sting exacts a deadly toll.
Zaheed brings his blade and severs the stinger from the scorpion's body as the puss and blood leaks out onto the white sand.
Combat Over
Nura sighs heavily, wiping the sweat from her brow. "Well done, my friend," she says to Zaheed.
Zaheed cleans his long blade with clumps of sand and restores it to the scabbard lashed to his back.
"Unexpected dangers lurk in the unlikeliest places. We must learn to be more careful. Do any of you have an empty flask that we might collect the venom? It is very valuable to the right circles."
"We can harvest the poison glands soon, but first let me see your wounds," Nabila says as she begins to try and bind Nura's most recent wounds.
"A shame I don't have the proper material to treat your wound easily Nura. I will check your bandages later."
Hearing Liath mumble Nabila drops to the half-orc's side and prays for Najm to heal her wounds.
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As Nabila leans in to heal Liath, she hears her murmur gently.
"I'll come back for you father. And you will suffer."
Liath wakes up and rises, batting her eyes rapidly, like a teenager getting up from a nap.
"Oh! Peradventure I must have been dealt a more harsh blow from the terrible monster than I had envisioned.
Are all of us in good health? I seem to be somewhat poorly so I must needs see to my own tempers."
Liath concentrates on her body, and lets her knowledge of healing and magic flow through her.
"Ah! Now I am restored. In my dreams am I correct that I heard someone desire the creatures' poison? I believe I can adjudicate such a transaction."
Liath strolls over to each corpse and flexes her orcish musculature. For a moment her exposed skin on arms and back stand out in stark relief as if a porcelain doll of carved limestone was suddenly attacked by tree roots.
She casually rips off the lower third of the vertebrae making up their tails, allowing for the poison sack to be removed without doing it harm, and brings it over.
"Here you are, good Zaheed. You should get this into a sack so you do not injure yourself, I should think. You have our gratitude for thy efforts in slaying these foul beasts.
Are we ready to continue our search for the needed supplies the good blacksmith requires?"
Zaheed smiles at the enthusiasm of the young cleric and accepts both her gratitude and trophies with genuine appreciation and a slight nod. He wraps and stows the venom sacks carefully and safely into his belt pouches, moving all other objects into his large sack.
"Thank you friend for freeing me from that creature's clutches!"
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Liath's eyes go wide as she sees the large gash in Uthman's side. "Oh my goodness oh my goodness! Peradventure you have been dealt a savage cut and all but sliced in twain! Allow me to rectify this as reward for toeing the battle-line so bravely!"
Nodding at her good work, Liath inspects the area. "Are we quite concluded here? Have we gathered enough camel dung to return to our duties?"
"Indeed, the camel-dung has been in quantity today," says Fadilah dryly as her gen returns with her spell.
You gather as much camel dung as you can physically carry and you bring it back to Suleiman the goldsmith and then he says, "Before we get started, there isa Djinn bound to this item which is an item of metal so we have wind and fire, O shai'ra I am going to require you to prepare a water spell to ground the Djinn in our plane so as to not kill him. Would it be possible for you to send you gen to find one?"
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"Of course," says Fadilah. "Let me think... a simple water spell... yes, I can think of one, though we will need to rub down the lamp with oil or water."
You send your gen to grab the spell you need and about 50 seconds later he shows back up and says, "Mistress, I do hope this spell is helpful to you."
You then nod towards Suleiman who builds a large camel turd fire and the smell of burning desert grasses fills the air. He then takes some of those burning embers and puts them into his portable brazier and then they burn white hot. He then says, "To all of the gods of man and Genie alike listen to us. It seems as though one of your ilk has been imprisoned and the caster has perished and it is in no other way to release him from said prison."
Suleiman uses steel tongs to plase the Maztican tumbago piece onto the brazier and it starts to flicker with purple smoke with a green light streaming upwards that looks like upside down lightning.
He signals to Fadi as she casts her spell at the melting metal removing its magical properties slowly but surely turning the magical tumbago into the mixture of gold and copper it was originally supposed to be. And suddenly an aquamarine smoke bursts into the day sky and as it clears, you hear the jolly voice of the Djinn you met in the old sorcerer's lighthouse from two days ago.
It says, "HO, HO HO.... I would like to thank you for setting me free, I still had about 300 years left on my assignment and now I can stretch my legs. I hope your voyage was pleasant."
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"Oh joy! Oh rapture!" Liath squeals as she claps her hands and jumps up and down. "Oh joy and rapture! Goodbye, master Djinn! Farewell on thee journeys to...wherever it is your are bound! Do think upon us with favor in the coming centuries! Perhaps we shall meet again, you never did know!"
Liath beams with a happy smile at how they have taken a significant step forward in their questing quests.
"Oh now we must be bound back for the tower! Othman and Zaheed, you have been such a boon to us, surely you will agree to accompany us to see this thing through?"
That she might now have leave or authority to bring others on board the ship just never does bother her head.
The Djinn looks at the half ork woman and says,"Why do you want to go back to the tower? You are probably itching to get your hands on my former master's treasure, aren't you? Ho, Ho, Ho! I am sure I do owe you something for your trouble. I will gift Fadilah, Nura, Nabilah and Liath 750 GP a piece. The rest must go to the Master's next of kin."
He then says, "You do look like the adventuring sort and let me think what I might could have available and won't be missed in the stash."
GM Rolls
GM Rolls
He then snaps his fingers and a pile of 750 GP materializes in front of Nabila, Nura, Fadilah and Liath. Then a wand, a very large bottle of oil and a ring materializes in front in a pile in between the your group he then snaps his fingers once more and says, "Good goldsmith, you shall have some bakshish of an extra 100gp for your services."
"Thank you Liath. I have nothing left here, so I will accompany you."
Uthman watches the Djinn's appearance with reverence and awe, shaken by his first time seeing one of the Genie-kind in person.
Zaheed watches the noble being appear, reward the company, and then just as quickly vanish. Though he has only served this group for a short time, he feels a swell of pride that his sword and courage have, in a small measure, contributed to this outcome.
"Now I see the purpose of these trials. As this path is as true an another, I will gladly continue this journey with all of you. You may depend on my blade until the company disbands or I no longer wield it, which will come only on death."
"Amazing!" says Fadilah. She bows deeply to the departing genie and says, "I am always glad to be of service! Please remember my name favorably in the realm of smokeless fire!"
"And so compassion has brought us rich rewards," she says. "Here we are near the city, as well, ready to spend our recompense as we see fit!"
The Djinn says, "If you do not want to know what these items do, then I will be off. Ho, Ho, Ho...."
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"Oh." Liath for once is caught tongue-tied and for a moment simply stares at the small fortune now piled in front of her. Gingerly she stoops down to investigate it.
Finding it really real, she bundles it all into a pouch and stands, only now regaining perspective on whats going on.
"Oh no!" she cries at the Djinn. "Peradventure could you enlighten us we would be ever so grateful!"
The Djinn says, "Per request, the first one is a wand of illumination, the second is oil of delusion and the third is a ring of messaging. It has been nice meeting you and once again thank you for your assistance. Wadaeaan!"
A large cloud of purple smoke appears 100 feet high and then dissipates as does the Djinn.
You follow Suleiman back to the main road leading towards the city of Qudra.
You start to hear the familiar sound of camels walking in unison across the sand and you see the banners of your caravan and you spot Akila Abd Almin riding out front and she calls you over, "Najm be praised! You made amazing time for you to have beaten us back to Qudra."
Nura waves goodbye to the djinn, honored to have been a part of such a noble venture. Upon sighting the caravan, she calls to Akila. "We had some assistance from a friend!"
"Ah! So amazing! I kept considering that we might have been somewhat tricked, but perhaps this was as it appeared. May you fare well and return home to find comfort and joy!" Nabila shouts to the ascending cloud.
She turns to the pile of treasures. "Interesting. We have gone so far, in such a short time. All because of a boy trying to save a talking fish!"
Uthman felt at east among the camels of the caravan, riding his own camel leisurely along his new companions. "I do not know how far exact you have come, fair lady, but I feel certain our journeys are only just now beginning."
Uthman begins to make mental notes of the quality of the camels in the caravan.
Akila responds to Nura and says, "Have you gone to our barracks in the city to receive your reward?"
Your group follows accompanies the mamluks that you had been working with back into the city of Qudra, you march forward into the Mamluk citadel with its impressive exterior on the inside is a courtyard where young mamluks are getting their training in spear and jambiyah, scimitar and khopesh and bow. Learning their battle formations and their skills.
The old woman leader of the mamluks whom you have met along your journey makes her way slowly to the courtyard and she says, "Before you set off after those dastardly corsairs, there were five of you and now there is six. It seems as though Meleek has decided to stay with us in Qudra, we had given him leave to continue travelling with you but no matter."
Behind you the crates of the caravan are opened with crowbars and she says Fadi's, Nura's and Nabila's names as well as Chiplucks and Maudril."Here is 100 Dinars for each of you and most of you chose a five arrows and you used them defending our caravan at sea and lost them you have my leave to choose one more Hiyali weapon of your choice."
"It would be very helpful, and I would be of much more use if there was a long bow and some arrows I could use."
She says, "Well, we were not shipping bows but arrows, or more specifically the arrowheads. You may take 10 high quality flight arrows."
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Liath seems confused. "Are there...more?...corsairs that we need to go after?" she asks, her mind not really focused on anything expect the search for The River.
"And you are very kind and also gracious, peradventure I have no greater need for panoply but if you would give my largess to Zaheed I would be ever so grateful."
"Have you another scimitar available?"
She smiles at Nura and says, "Yes we do. If that is what you wish."
"Please, and blessings be upon you for your generosity." Nura takes the weapon and gives it a few practice slashes, trying it with her other scimitar, and then with her jambiya.
Unaccustomed to such generosity, Zaheed bows low to Liath. "Thank you for this bounty. In truth, though my greatsword has been with me for a couple good years, it is just a tool. If there were a better sword of similar utility but sharper edge, I would put it to good use."
The Mamluk leader looks at you and says, "Why are you bowing to her, we are gifting you the weapon. No matter."
She then continues, "You have done us Mamluks a great service and you will be the first people we seek out if we need any assistance."
You then make your way back to your ship and waiting out front is the half-elf bard you had met the night before and he says, "Are we ready to shove off?"
The Mamluk leader looks at you and says, "Why are you bowing to her, we are gifting you the weapon. No matter."
Zaheed is caught flat-footed by their candor. "Of course. My gratitude. Please take my old sword. It has fought many battles, but is no great prize. Perhaps you may render it in fire and make use of it, as a training weapon, if nothing else."
Fadilah gratefully accepts a simple quarterstaff with shod caps on the ends and a heavy grain to the wood.
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The group of you seem to stare at the parchment map for a fairly long time trying to get a handle on what landmass you are staring at and where it might be located.
A half-elven Rawun passes you by who looks like he was about to set up to play a set in the establishment with his zither, seeing the difficulty you are having with the map and says, "Salutations ladies, I am Kadin al-Zor al Faddi a humble musician and rawun and I am well versed in map reading, may I look at that map?"
"Uthman, Zaheed, this is Kadin al-Zor al Faddi. He has agreed to aid us in reading the map to find The River for the recompense amount of...."
Liath trails off and taps her chin cutely. "I'm sorry, good sir, but exactly how much recompense are you planning on charging us?"
She didn't know if it was her father's intrinsic paranoia, or something that someone said, but she was suddenly wary of the musician coming along for his own means.
He says, "An equal share of the prize or prizes, plus as an additional service to you, I will surely increase your station through the retelling of your derring do in the form of an epic song... a magnum opus, if you will rivalling the feats of Najm, may he or she smile upon our journey." as he climbs aboard your Dhow.
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Liath frowns. "Do excuse me for a moment."
She moves off and motions for the others to join her in a huddle. "I like not this charlatan's ways. I do not think he is worthy of an equal share...however that lands. This is no chest of trinkets or sack of coins. The river is a magical place, but holds little intrinsic value that can be carted away. Perhaps the waters heal when carried with someone, but who would know? More like the place is most valuable for the location, which could be secreted and sold to high bidders.
For this troubadour to think himself of an equal share when we have both map and ship rubs me poorly.
I say we offer him 500 coins.
And if he does not take it let us kill him where he stands so he troubles us no more.
There are always cartographers to be had. We will find one of an easier nature."
For the nonce she is serious, and her prior frivolity is burned away like morning dew in the hot day's sun. It seems that rage has a way of focusing her.
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Uthman appears visibly shaken at the suggestion, "No, this would be not good. The Evil Eye would surely strike us down. Let us treat with him honestly, and only repay him in kind should he try a double cross. The gods and fate smile on those who trust true and spit on those that break trust."
Zaheed drifts in and out of the conversation. Any discussion of wealth is meaningless to him, as he carries no coin on person which cannot be exchanged for necessities or tithed. He examines his new sword. It is an excellent work of craftsmanship; a year's labours upon acquisition, and with so little effort! True, the scorpions were deadly, and this company seemed poorly equipped to fend off such creatures without him. Nevertheless, the prize was unexpected, and he felt a small amount of turmoil, but steeled against it by pledging himself to the group. The pact was sealed with a vow, as it should always be.
"Kadin al-Zor al Faddi, please grace us with a selection of your work. I would like to hear such a song to help pass the travels."
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"Are you saying I'm not treating with him honestly?" Liath says, looking like a duck struck on the head.
She stands a while, in ulfish thought.
"We, some of us, have recently been given 750 coins by a wondrous being for setting him free, a good deed in itself. I am apt to take that as a sign by Learned Zann that goods deeds are rewarded by universal coin. What say we offer him such a like amount, 750, in return for his full service?
If he disagrees, we'll not kill him, but go looking for a guide. If every bard in every tavern can read a map then I should think if we look in a cartographer's shop we should be able to secure an honest expert's labor for a like amount.
Does that seem reasonable?"
Seeing as how dad would've killed both the bard and the warrior, she thought this a moment of personal growth.