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

Game Master Insnare

Ibn Taaib ventures to speak with the woman as the banquet continues. He chiefly addresses Fadilah, who he sensed was the de facto leader of the group, but stands at a distance calculated to allow his voice to address all of them.

“Noble ladies, I relay to thee most excellent greetings and welcomes. Praise the gods that thy party has returned from the expeditions to the crypts and ruins of Al Anwahr. If it shall please thee, I wish to extend my hand, and the hand of my travel companion, Frackit Alloyeye, to assist and lend what strength we have.”

Let’s get this party started.

Paritosh nods at Sheikhs offer. "If the opportunity to eat such food as this even once more is on the line, then I should be glad to offer my services. It has been many years since my stomach has been so pleased." The singsong nature of his elven voice is in contrast to the comical way in which he pats his stomach and its noticeable bulge, as temporary as it no doubt is.

"Yes hello I am Frackit Alloyeye, Glitterbright of Garl Glittergold, I hail from Daggerdale in Faerun far to the north.I will aid you with my spells both divine and arcane, as well as my axe and roguish training. Also any gems or jewels you come across I am a former Jeweler, so I can help appraise or even cut and craft something if given time and tools," Frackit sighs and slips into gnome.

"Let's explore this city for our gracious hosts!!!" Frackit says as he is in his work armor that is covered in pockets, straps, and buckles. He reaches up to touch the gold nugget on a chain about his neck that matches the one on his shield and on his tabard.

Paritosh mumbles...

Fadilah is in the midst of chewing on a bit of gravy-soaked bread and covers her mouth politely with one hand and finishes before she speaks.

"Why, that is an exceedingly generous offer, considering that you have only just met us here in the desert near the ruins; but certainly we should be glad of the company, I think, for we have seen some shiversome sights in Al-Anwahr," she finally says once she has finished her morsel.

Glancing to Frackit, she says, "I have not heard of this 'Dagger-dale,' I presume it is some place far from here? Is it as the name implies, truly filled with daggers? Perhaps named for the formation of stones jutting up like such blades? In any case, if your goal is return to your homeland, I fear I do not know the way, but mayhaps when we finish our exploration here we will return by the caravan routes to a large city where one might find a traveling party or ship that could take you hither."

Frackit looks at Paritosh and blinks his big golden brows and then gives a wry grin.

Turning to address Fadilah,"The main town was Dagger Falls, but it was originally known as Merry Dale.BUt after an incursion of vampires and lycanthropes from the great Cormanthyr woods that change and the happy people had to turn against the vile undead. But that was before the current occupation" He says reciting what he knew of the place.

"As for returning home, I am not sure. I know my god has told me to look for the Laughing Lass. Not sure who or what that is? Once that is revealed or I figure it out I can seek my next mission. Until then the riddle is what I must figure out" Frackit says looking up as he slips his battle axe again on his back and slips his shield on his left arm.

More strays, thinks Zairiah, but if they ran into Yodfah again, she would be glad of the help, and they had plenty of water, so the more help the better.

Be welcome. I must warn you to be careful tomorrow however; we have encountered many traps. Best to be wary. Also, we are happy to share what we have with you as we travel, but certain things that we might find here are already spoken for by our employer, so be aware of that as well.

She glances towards their large entourage and introduces each by name, and then continues.

... all of these are accompanying us for different reasons; I'm sure each can tell you their stories, but that will take time, and tonight we should rest. We only have two more days to explore the ruins, so we must sleep and be ready to set out early.

"Why, that is an exceedingly generous offer, considering that you have only just met us here in the desert near the ruins; but certainly we should be glad of the company, I think, for we have seen some shiversome sights in Al-Anwahr,"

"Fate so arranged for this encounter," the sheikh says, continuing once the women have finished eating. "There is an aura of destiny about thee, and my blade--"

He unsheathes the curved sword, and holds it up by the open blade. "--shall serve thee so long as thy path is righteous."

"Worldly treasures matter little save what could aid in the promotion of Virtue and Justice, and with the suppression of Vice and Wickedness," the man says simply. It is clear he practices what he preaches; he carries an empty gold pouch, simple travelers' gear and weapons for the road, and is garbed in exceedingly clean but cheap clothing. His eyes bear the weight of decades of devotion, and seem empty of all worldly want. "Thy path is righteous, and the blessings I shall receive from doing this Good is payment enough."

... all of these are accompanying us for different reasons; I'm sure each can tell you their stories, but that will take time, and tonight we should rest. We only have two more days to explore the ruins, so we must sleep and be ready to set out early.

"Understood, good lady. Sleep well and may angels guard thy dreams," says he, nodding in respect, and sheathing his blade.

If there is nothing else, Ibn Taaib will set up camp and rest after thanking his hosts, and refilling his stock of water.

Paritosh smiles at Bracket's response...

You have your meeting and then go to bed waking up and having a quick breakfast as the sunrises. Abdalla is waiting for you looking refreshed and excited to get back into the ruins. You leave your caravan members in the citadel with the Janni and you make your way into the ruins of Al-Anwahr.

The structures of this once-proud city have been slowly
eroded by time into a sprawling collage of broken stone
buildings, hardly recognizable for their earlier purpose.

A wide boulevard runs the length of the city, flanked
by crumbled buildings and countless broken pillars that
reach upward into a pitiless sky. The paving stones are
uneven with age, and separated by tufts of sun-withered
grass.

GM Rolls

You continue moving together and continue towards area C following the Zairiah, Nura, Fadilah and Abdalla. You continue down the boulevard after about 30 minutes of walking. You figure in the city's heyday such a walk may have taken you about two hours with the hustle and bustle of big city life and all.

In the middle of the boulevard, at the
center of the city, stands the remains of a huge, once proud mosque. With most of its domed ceiling collapsed
after centuries of neglect, only a quarter of the structure is
still standing and, as you were told, served as a camp for Haroushin’s first expedition during the excavation of the buried palace.

GM rolls

You then go north of the square of the old mosque and you continue forward. You see in front of you the rubble of a once great palace.

Only the front of the structure has
been excavated by the previous expedition, exposing a
pair of massive, bronze portals 20 feet high, flanked on
each side by a tall shedu, carved in bas-relief on the stone. The doors have been left open.

And it is dark on the inside.

Who has the rod of smiting?

I do, unless someone else wants to hold it.

Frackit takes a look at the building an examines it. As he does he goes back to his days as a young gnome, learning the ins and outs of structures and holes.

"I will have to get a good look inside to see how structurally sound it is. My people have a strange knack for it. Probably years living in hillocks and false trees veiled in illusions." Frackit strokes his mustache. He looks up his sapphire blue eyes sparkling in the sound under his big brows and golden yellow conical hat.

Before setting out
In the morning, the sheikh is quick to rise, performing the dawn prayer and staying awake since. As the party gathers and the sun rises, he has already tightened the straps of a suit of lammelar armor, its shimmering scales reflecting the rising sunlight. He tightens metal vampraces, and cloaks himself with his white garb once more, wrapping his turban around a metal turban-helm, and covering his face with the white cloth as the party gathered at the gates of the camp. He stood by his she-camel in waiting, fingers of his right hand handling a simple wooden rosery as he muttered under his breath, eyes on the lookout.
When they all gather, he says a general prayer for the road, offering his mount to those who don't have one (head inclined to Frackit), saying little else, focused as he is on the danger ahead.
Learning of the threats involved, he has a simple wood-handle jambiya at his belt, a bow at his back with a few arrows, his sheathed scimitar from yesterday, and a practical-looking mace with a round head. Curiously, he has an empty, shorter, sword sheathe at his belt as well. He cascades his white aba on his shoulders, giving him a cape-like silhouette.

On the road

The structures of this once-proud city have been slowly eroded by time into a sprawling collage of broken stone buildings, hardly recognizable for their earlier purpose.

Music in my head

Ibn Taaib observes the mosque quietly, recalling reports of Haroushin’s expedition.
Roll under 14 Wisdom for Religious history: 1d20 ⇒ 6

Only the front of the structure has been excavated by the previous expedition, exposing a pair of massive, bronze portals 20 feet high, flanked on each side by a tall shedu, carved in bas-relief on the stone. The doors have been left open.

Ibn Taaib readies his mace, keeping his sword in its sheath by his side, and retrieves his round shield. He takes point, open to use a torch if someone provides him with one.

"What should we expect, good ladies? How far deep into unholy place had been explored?" Ibn Taaib asks warily.

Ibn Taaib has a mace out, assuming skeletons might be around, but is armed for other threats.

Sheikh

Remembering their encounter with the skeletons previously, Nura looks about for a good-sized stick to use as a club or staff.

We don't really know how far in since we don't know how much there is... but we made it through several interior chambers.

Zairiah updates them on what they have seen so far as they walk. Feel free to assume you know the backstory of exploring this place.

After telling them about the pile of dead bodies and the challenges that they have faced, she hopes that they stay wary.

Zairiah enters with the rod and a torch, checking the first chamber to see if anything has been disturbed since the previous day.

You enter the palace. Inside, you find a large, vaulted foyer, its walls and
floors smeared with dried blood. At the
center of the scene stands a 12-foot-high black
granite statue of a great ghul, poised as if to spring at the
entrance. Two rubies glint
malevolently in its eye sockets.

Don't approach the statue. That's where the entire group was killed. We think it tries to take over your mind. I mean, destroying it so it doesn't pose a hazard for travelers would be a good idea, but I wouldn't try it unless you can do it from a distance.

Frackit begins to look at the area.

Unsafe Room: 1d10 ⇒ 9

Frackit seems to think it's sound structurally and then nods as he looks at the statue. The Rubies particularly were quite intriguing.

Appraise: 1d20 ⇒ 19

Frackit looks at the others and with his shield before him readies a dagger. As he does he waits for the ladies who had been here before.

Frackit

Memories of the images on the first edition PHB.

Paritosh slowly looks around the room, "how old did you say this place was? It is a wonder that anything of value still resides, barring the presence of the dangerous guardians you described I suppose."

He shivers as he considers what Zairiah has told them about the place and readies his shield and khopesh as proof against the horrors the centuries may have left behind.

"Those rubies are quite valuable, but if they are magically trapped then that would be bad. Also, does that statue have any significance?" Frackit asks as he pulls out his workmans goggles and then flips his little glasses to adjust for distance and get some minute details. Seeing the value of those gems and the multitude of cuts and fittings for such rubies.

A coronet, a crown, a lattice necklace, even a circlet. So many different things can be had. The gnome craftsman sighs and slips his goggles back into one of his many pouches.

" So where to now?" He says with a sling at the ready. As well as reciting his chant for a spiritual hammer.

In my mind's eye I am seeing this. In my mind's ear I am hearing this.

At Selan's mosque
"This predates the Enlightenment," Ibn Taaib says in response to Paritosh, seeing the place and the mosque. The weight of time, something that was oft-too transient for the peoples of the desert, suddenly fell on him as the creeping blackness of a swift night. "A dark, antediluvian world it was. What could have awakened the evil sleeping within this place? What caused them to stir, I wonder...was it the previous expedition?"

A dark thought crossed his mind. Would delving further the awakening of this evil, or were the seals that kept it away from the world broken?
The sheikh tightens the grip on his weapon--a simple one of uncomplicated and functional craftsmanship. No matter, he would not turn away. Indeed, he could not leave his hosts or these ladies to face what evil lay within.
As the party entered the palace, Ibn Taaib dismounted. He kept his camel un-bound, patting her and giving her instructions. Strangely, the animal seemed to be more intelligent than others of its kind.
"Protect the other mounts and wait for me," he said. The camel nuzzled her master. "I will be back. Bless thee."

Statue of the Great Ghul

Don't approach the statue. That's where the entire group was killed. We think it tries to take over your mind. I mean, destroying it so it doesn't pose a hazard for travelers would be a good idea, but I wouldn't try it unless you can do it from a distance.

Ibn Taaib nods, taking Zairiah at her word.

"Those rubies are quite valuable, but if they are magically trapped then that would be bad. Also, does that statue have any significance?"

"That statue is of a ghul. A daemonic fiend distantly related to djinn. I know not who would ever make such a feat of craftsmanship for a creature so wicked, save but a craftsman as evil," Ibn Taaib says, making a symbol to ward off evil. "Stay close to me, so I may protect thee."

Religion, roll under 14: 1d20 ⇒ 1
Perfect result for my religion check! What do I know of the statue or who could've made such a thing, and why?
I couple the results with my detect evil ability, if that helps.

Sheikh

Interesting, but probably best just to avoid it. That worked last time. Let's move on to a place we haven't been yet, but we can go slow so that you understand the challenges we encountered along the way. If we feel that we are strong enough on the way out, I have no problem trying for those rubies, but it isn't our main goal, and I don't want anyone ending up like the giant pile of bodies that we encountered when we first came here.

"That seems bad, very bad. That idea of coming back and destroying it may be a better option, especially with this ghul thing sounding incredibly evil. May the Watchful Protector guide us and shield us" Frackit says followed by a kiss on his holy symbol.

"This is not a statue," Ibn Taaib says slowly. The gleaming ruby eyes seemed to sparkle malevolently in response to the paladin's words, as if darkly amused at the joke being noticed. "It is a sanam [idol]; an object of worship to evil cults. It can move and it can fight, should it wish it, it simply deems not to for now. We shall be wise to expect that cult tied to this idol lurks somewhere in the ruins."

The sheikh turns to Zairiah, and asks, "Who lay dead here? Whom have ye found dead before the idol? The previous expedition?"

Paritosh nods as he listens to Sheikh. "So, cultists you say? And an animated and evil statue that defends? What if the purpose of the statue is not so much to keep people out, but to keep them in, once they get so deep? Mayhap we shall transgress on the cultists, and become trapped by the statue?" He considers his own words, "on the plus side Frackit, if we have to destroy the statue to leave, the survivors will have the eyes to take as a reward!" He laughs a deep laugh that echoes through the chamber.

"Why it moves not is beyond my knowledge," Ibn Taaib says, abstaining from giving his opinion. "If the ladies believe it is best left alone, I trust their judgment, as they have been here before, and are wise to the dangers of this ruin."

"Best not to give malevolent things of the ancient world what they want," says Fadilah. "Let us avoid it and continue our explorations."

Living idols do actually have a movement rate, they're just very slow. I know because I used one recently in a DARK SUN game!

I believe I just explained all of that, Sheikh. The entire previous expedition of 50+ people were all surrounding that statue, or idol, or whatever, and were very, very dead. You saw the grave outside I am sure. Now, please, let's move on.

"Best not to give malevolent things of the ancient world what they want," says Fadilah. "Let us avoid it and continue our explorations."

"Indeed, good lady. Let us proceed," Ibn Taaib says. "I believe we can ignore it for now, Paritosh."

@Zairiah: I think we're not on the same page, since Zairiah didn't mention a grave or the expedition in-character, only that there were dead bodies.

The sheikh continues with the rest to the next room, ready for battle, shield up, as he peers into the darkness.

So you go into the next room and you can see the twenty skeletons and they recognize the rod of smiting. And ask you whether they should maintain their positions from the day before.

I think the consensus is to explore new rooms, so I will have you go into room 6

You go into the room to the right: Inside this long hall, a marvelous
feast has been spread out upon a huge 10 feet by 60 feet
carpet. You can smell the most succulent
food you have ever seen. The aroma of the wine is enticing. There is a large roasted goat on a spit with loads of spices. There is multiple trays of shashlik and plov. There are large bowls of the juiciest apricots, figs and bananas.

There are 11 types of honey , alongside fruits like dates, apricots and pomegranates. Flavors such as rosewater, orange-flower blossoms, saffron, star anise and cardamom are prevalent, as well as ingredients like pistachios, almonds and sesame.

The result is an aromatic and fragrant food landscape that puts the Jann's
banquet from the night before to shame. The confections are edible status symbols that are gilded in gold and presented in plaited baskets of ivory.

Baklava is one of the most renowned of the sweetmeats. The tankards are made of the finest silver and brass. The wines smell delectable.

"Two questions, could you not direct the skeletons to destroy one another, lest they become untethered and thus a threat to our own hides? Second, this food is an illusion, correct?"

"I mean if not, Then some undead or gibblesnipe made it in some mockery of being welcoming as well as a trap." With that Frackit pulls out his goggles and begins to look at the table from a healthy distance. As he does he slips his shield on his back and then draws his Battle Ax.

The gnome priest first looked for any noticeable traps.

Find and Remove Traps: 1d100 ⇒ 50

Frackit

"It is either a trap, or a conjuration that has outlived its creators," says Fadilah.

Fetch spell: detect illusion (<= 60%): 1d100 ⇒ 43
Fetch spell time: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7 rounds

After a few minutes, Fadilah's gen returns with a spell of her request, and she casts a spell designed to detect and penetrate illusions.

Fadilah

"Interesting," says the sha'irah. "This isn't an illusion, it's a preservation spell. The food and drink are all magically preserved, and petty magic used to enhance the scent and flavor. The containers are not preserved, though, so there is probably patina on the silver and the ivory. The carpet also has magic to preserve and clean it and could be quite valuable to a collector or a wealthy person looking to decorate their household without having to clean."

"Lady Fadilah, i hear the words you are saying, but I am not understanding them."

"The food and drink are real, and magically preserved from spoiling. The tableware is not so preserved, so it might have verdigris. The carpet is also magically preserved, and could be worth a great deal of money to the correct buyer."

"I am pretty sure she means we can gather this up and sell it. The honey even without the magic would still be good"Frackit shifts his lenses around before he slips it off his head and slips it back into one of his many pouches.

"It wasn't trapped, though, I am not as good as my master was or any scout. At least not yet. The Joker willing I may be a master someday, but right now I am still Uncut" The gnome says as he walks back over with the group and waits to see what they want to do next.

"Two questions, could you not direct the skeletons to destroy one another, lest they become untethered and thus a threat to our own hides?

"Perhaps, but there must be a way to lift this evil from those poor souls," Ibn Taaib says. "Certainly, the coup they mention must have something to do with why this place is cursed--but why are they animate while the priest isn't? The coup did take place a very long time ago..."

@DM: How long ago did the coup take place?

@Party: We should investigate the coup and not simply go from room to room. This place is clearly cursed to all hell, and the coup is probably a key to understanding all this. I feel we're skipping important details by proceeding quickly.

Ibn Taaib uses detect evil on the skeletons as well.

He asks the skeletons about the coup, asking the captain, Farzid. When he speaks, he has the natural air of authority as a sheikh, as he asks: "Captain Farzid, we noticed a slain high priest in the next room. Who was he?"

"You had me at 'expensive carpet,' but ok." Paritosh dips his finger into the honey, pops it into his mouth and sucks the sticky substance down. If he survives that, he'll cut himself a haunch of goat and start snacking on it.

The coup happened about 12 years after the visit of the Loregiver to the Azaltin's palace, which would be commonly known. It is around 350-400 years ago.

Sheikh

Farzid says in Chun "It is hard to remember. Amakim and Zeenab tried to topple your Grace but luckily it was only temporary." Looking at Zairiah.

GM Rolls

Paritosh starts to feel seriously ill and starts to convulse on the ground.

DOH!!!

Hopefully this is just the first stage of my transformation into a more powerful form of life!

My character in 2e always tried the food or dove into the strange colored pools.

The sheikh contemplates the captain's words, but stops as he hears the clash and clatter of dishes.

He rushes towards the banquet hall, seeing Paritosh convulsing on the floor, tossing food and drink.

"By the gods," he breathes. He rushes to Paritosh's side, calling for Frackit. "I need aid!"

@DM: Lay on Hands can cure diseases, but I suspect this is a poison. Can I identify any symptoms?

" I...wait why!?!?!"Frackit runs in and looks him over wondering what he can do.

" I have Cure spells, but nothing for disease or poison"