"The fish escaped down a well and we went down after it. After a meeting with some centipedes left Fadilah and I paralyzed, thank the Fates that our companions were present, we met an elderly woman who spoke in reverse and had our quarry. After we performed some minor chores for her, she gave us the fish and we found that it was a creature called a pahari, half-woman and half-fish. Her name was Silana and we were richly rewarded for our service with pearl-bearing oysters. In addition, she pledged to aid us if we call to her.
"Our next adventure was as caravan guards, but that is a tale for another time."
"Yes," says Fadilah, "we need to save some stories for time around the campfire later!" She grins at Nura. "Such a short time and already so many fantastical tales to tell."
I thank you, Zairiah says happily. I am fortunate to be in your company, and greatly look forward to the adventures to come.
"Do you have a story to share? Not the whole thing, but just enough to whet the appetite?" asks Fadilah, giving Zairiah her full attention. "You seem excited for this trip, like we are, I feel like we are kindred spirits brought together by Fate."
Surprised and flattered, Zairiah thought for a moment.
Well, I don't have any true stories of adventure that I have personally experienced, you understand, but I have heard many interesting stories.
Seeing that she wasn't rebuffed for her lack of personal experience, she continued.
An an apprentice in the trading house where I first met Ayyan, I once had the opportunity to evaluate the egg of a Great Roc that a man had brought in to sell. It was an excellent specimen, and had been kept warm so that it could even be sold to someone who intended to hatch it, though few are so brave as to attempt that. As part of the evaluation we were of course required to collect the history of the object, as some buyers place great value on the origins of their acquisitions.
Imagine my surprise when the man said that he did not know where the nest was. Upon further inquiry, the man's story came out. One day he was out in the jungle with his elephants, for by profession he was an elephant trainer, and since his employer had received a request for a combat trained elephant, he had selected the biggest of them to begin training. One of the first lessons is that they must learn to not panic at the sound of loud noises, so Asam (for that was the name of the man) spent all morning banging drums and cymbals and screaming occasionally until the elephant started to get used to the disturbance, and finally was able to accept a rider and perform normal tasks during whatever disturbance he could invent.
Unfortunately for both the elephant and Asam, the noises seemed to have attracted the attention of a Roc, or perhaps it just happened by, who can know, but despite the lesson, when the Roc screeched, it was too much for the animal and it panicked and ran, not to the possible safety of the trees, but out into a clearing where the Roc picked it up, all with Asam still clinging to the animal for dear life. Too late he realized that he should have dismounted despite all the danger of being trampled, because he was now headed for what seemed to be certain death. Although the talons had not pinned him when the elephant was grabbed, he would certainly die when it was dropped, and he wasn't certain what to do...
Ah, is that enough to whet the appetite, as you desired? Needless to say, the purchase went well. The man didn't realize how valuable the egg was, and was happy to get enough to replace the elephant that had been lost with a hefty bonus for himself left over, and I was praised for ensuring a sizable profit for the trading house. Everyone was happy in the end.
Fadilah claps her hands and says, "What a fantastic tale! And plausible, too, as everyone knows that rocs will carry away elephants for their dinner. Truly that man Asam was very fortunate to escape with life and egg."
The sha'ir gently touches Zairiah's elbow and says, "I can already tell, we are going to be great friends."
You set sail in a nor'westerly direction towards the Genie's Turban.
The Bard says with the wind at your backs you should get to the Turban in about two days. He also says that you shall be entering the Corsair Domains and that Privateers from Hawa sometimes prey upon merchants in this area.
GM Rolls [spoiler]
After about six hours at sea, Rashad in the crow's nest says, "Land Ho off the port bow."
Fadilah comes up from below deck at the call of land ho. She furrows her brow and says, "Too early. Is this expected? Is there supposed to be an island or suchlike here?"
After getting her stuff stowed, Zairiah had taken a short nap in case she was required to be on watch later, so she comes up still a little sleepy, only realizing that things are unusual when Fadilah mentions that it is too early.
She then goes to the rail and looks out to see if there is anything unusual that she can see off the port bow.
Zairiah can't see anything unusual initially, so she asks to see the charts.
"Hmm... not sure where we are."
"I am confident I know where we should be going here." Uthman offers.
Zairiah and Uthman
Well, according to these charts, this island doesn't exist... which is interesting. Do you think that someone purposely chose not to chart it, or is it a ... floating island? ... perhaps a very, very large turtle with an island on top of its shell?
She laughs.
Ridiculous, I know... just imagining how an island could possibly move. Perhaps a very powerful magician?
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"Genie magic," Nura mutters, mostly to herself.
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Uthman nods to the others, "Surely we must check this island out, so that we can correct our dear friend's charts by adding it!"
"If we are not pressed for time, surely we can undertake a little adventure, yes?"
Zairiah smiles and agrees, wondering what adventure they will find.
Nura wheels the boat in close to shore, dropping anchor in the shallows.
Your team effort pilots the ship towards the island but when you drop you anchor over the side of the ship you realize it does not hit the bottom of the ocean and you ship is adrift.
This island might be something else.
"There is something strange here indeed."
Uthman looks for something on the shore they might tie the ship off to- a tree or large rock.
"Perhaps Zairiah is right and it is a great turtle! We should go over and look," says Fadilah.
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"Perhaps if we sail around the island we will find some spot we can secure our ship?"
"Ah, good idea."
You sail around the perimeter of the island and find a place where you could lasso your anchor to the island. Your core party members lower themselves down upon the island. The island seems to have a lot of debris and two palm trees. on it. The wooden soles of your shoes make an unmistakeable cloppy noise as you walk around.
"this seems to be exposed stone, by the noise our shoes make! How strange this island is!"
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"Maybe it's a magical island made by a sorcerer," suggests Fadilah. "A wandering oasis in the middle of the ocean."
Zairiah examines the debris.
It looks like normal debris you would find on a beach, broken crates, seaweed, algae and the like. The island has a diameter of around 150 yards.
Ah, this seems like one of those stories to me where you say the magic word and a cave opens in the sand, allowing you entry to a cave full of treasure. Unfortunately, I don't know any magic words. Anyone else? Are there magical energies about?
"We found one of those! A cave protected by a waterfall that parted when you said the magic word!" says Fadilah excitedly. She turns and whispers to her gen, which promptly vanishes.
rounds
A few minutes later, the gen reappears with a POOF. Fadilah thanks the gen for its service, then turns and casts a spell to sense magical auras.
You did? That's amazing. ... This island seems like it has to be here for a reason, and the placement is unusual, not being on the charts, and for some reason not being able to anchor beside it... but for the life of me, I see nothing strange about the actual island itself... although it did sound sort of hollow when we walked over here. Hmm.
Zairiah grabs a board from one of the broken crates and digs in the sand near one of the trees, trying to see if the root system is intact or if the sand covering is really shallow and there is something underneath.
Zairiah starts to dig in the dirt underneath one of the trees and then a loud noise bellow out from under the water, "ARANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHFFFFFFFFFFFFF FFFFFFFFFFFFFFF" as the northern side of the island starts to submerge while the southern side tilts up into the air.
Fadilah manages to stay upright, though she looks terrified. "Is the island flipping over? What's going on?" she shouts, heedless of the fact that none of the party members likely know any better than she.
Struggling to maintain her balance Zairiah responds
Uh, maybe we woke the turtle?
"Turtle!? What strange beast is the size of an island!?"
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Zairiah grabs onto the tree so she doesn't fall over.
Nura keeps her footing, but sways as the island moves. She draws her scimitar.
Uthman loses his footing and slides closer to "islands" shore. From his vantage point he can see gigantic orange feet and claws coming out of the front of the island as the island starts to submerge.
"I do not believe this is an island, my most esteemed colleagues! Perhaps we should return and secure our vessel?"
Uthman looks for a path back to the boat and preferably also away from the claws.
Yep, looks like it's either that or hold our breath for a long, long time.
Zairiah runs back towards the ship, stopping to help anyone who has fallen along the way.
Fadilah decides that discretion is called for and is hot on the heels of the others in running back for the ship.