Ibrahim the Grey's page

Ibrahim rolls his eyes - a disturbong sight fiven how they protrude, you're half convinced they'll fall out of his head.

He then moves back to his tent and comes our with a bundled cloth sack he hands to you.

Ibrahim looks over the list and snorts derisively.

"I am...sssurprised you did not asssk for the Axe of the Five Kingsss. But I will sssee what I have."

A small blue silk tent appears and he enters it. You see a few flashes of light before he emerges with your improved equipment.

I have a broad array of mechandissse for...you to perussse ssshould you ssso require.

"Excellent, I can sssee that you will all be fast...friendsss. Now I have only to sssend you to ssstop Hakotep and hisss...ssschemesss."

Ibrahim flickers and for a moment you see not the stooped, ancient old man Ibrahim but a powerful spellcaster, a king in fact and name - Azghaad, first pharaoh of Osirion.

He gestures and a ripple appears in space in front of you. Beyond the portal in space lies the expanse of Sothis - fires dot the city and the giant shell of the Spawn of Rovagug that covers the royal complex shimmers with protective magics. A pyramid lies in the cultivated lands surrounding the capital with mounds of earth around it, undead circling the place in the sky.

"But I am not without...meansss to help. Pleassse tell me isss there anything thisss humble...merchant can do for you?"

"I have been...assssurred that the man I bring isss quite...capable. He isss a powerful magic ussser and ssshould sssupliment your...forces quite well."

You hear a familiar voice behind you chuckle.

"You don't know how...right you are my friend."

Ibrahim, or Azghaad, is standing on the disk looking at the glass column before you.

"Haktop alwaysss...did thingsss flassshy. He never could...contain himssself."

"Fortunately now that you have finissshed thisss...ritual the upssstart isss now vulnerable. But sssince I doubt you have the ability to gate I have come to collect you. And I brought a new...companion to help you. Hakotep'sss tomb is quite...deadly and you may need another pair of handsss."

Ibrahim looks at you and smiles.

"You're getting ahead of yourselves! I told you to head back to Wati, didn't I? I can see great trouble headed that way soon."

Ibrahim chuckles at Tariq's request and his voice becomes a little more normal.

"While I could certainly give you a letter, I highly doubt anyone would believe it's authenticity given that I've supposedly been dead for 8,000 years. However if you go to Sothis, Menedes' tomb is blood-locked to his kith and kin. Should you actually persaude Khemet to let you attempt to open the tomb to the offering chamber you could prove your lineage at once. Although lost cousins are not exactly rare, so aside from a minor sinecure you probably will not be rewarded for doing so."

He looks at Noonan and sighs.

"It is so hard to find good help these days."

He reaches out with his hands and black tendrils materialize, enshrouding the mummy that lies inside the tomb. The mummy screams horribly as the necromantic energy of the wizard-pharaoh animates the corpse, dragging its spirit back to inhabit the body.

The mummy turns and bows low to Ibrahim and looks at you all.

"Why have you called me back from the Deadlands?"

"If I knew what to do I would try to do it myself, even in my weakened condition. But that is the true wonder of hiring adventurers, they do these things for you. Go now, return to the beginning and prepare yourselves. Hakotep awaits."

Mist stretches out from Ibrahim and seems to seep into your weapons and armor, strengthening them for the trials ahead. Even Thorrpe's color returns a bit and he stirs fitfully in his sleep.

Book 5 commences, Tariq let me know what you're interested in besides a +1 weapon/+1 armor buff from Azghaad/Ibrahim. Mini you there?

Moving on then! Hope everyone had a great holiday if you're in the US or a great Thursday if not. I'm going to be honest, the next two books are basically huge dungeon crawls so just buckle up for that if you're willing to continue! Hopefully Roll20 will speed things up.

"If the pharaoh's lackeys have used Shory magic to animate their pyramids then your best option wouild be to enter them and disable the aeromantic focus. If you are lucky you will not have to activate the slave trenches."

"Now? Now you must head back to where it all began. Do you know why Hakotep was called the Sky Pharaoh?"

He pauses like an attentive school master.

"It was because he stole something from the Shory; specifically how their cities work. He did this so he could pull them down from the sky because he was irritated at them raiding Osirion, which you can hardly blame him for, but you can blame him for enslaving hundreds of thousands to build his artifacts and his own flying pyramids."

Ibrahim waves his hand and summons a gilded stool which he sits on.

"Now. Because he knew how to undo something, he also knows how to do it. Normally this would be meaningless because his soul was cut into three pieces. Unfortunately as soon as you broke poor Thorrpe here two of those pieces reunited and knowing the disreputable scoundrel, Hakotep will soon raise a pyramid and send it against a city. He will probably demand something specific and petty, such as your lives. Possibly your souls, he enjoys melodrama."

"Now, since he knows your here he could come here but that would be far too quiet and frankly the blue dragons in the desert aren't terribly fond of flying visitors. So my guess is that he will be assault Wati. So you will be returning to Wati, see his giant pyramid, bring it to the ground, then kill Hakotep once and for all."

Ibrahim looks at you amusedly.

"I presume you are referring to the Naga Pharaoh, Nepherti I, who was indeed fond of chariot racing. Her secondary chief advisor to household affairs was Yatif the Half-Ogre, who was not actually a eunuch but was quite fat due to his fondness for honey tarts."

Ibrahim chuckles.

"Oh...my. I thought I'd been a bit more...obviousss but perhapsss only one of you sssaw my ssspectre lassst night."

For a moment his back straightens and his voice deepens.

"I am Azghaad, the All-Seeing, First and Greatest Pharaoh of Osirion."

His words echo, deafening in the small chamber as you would expect from a legendary king whose kingdom thrived when others remained devastated by Earthfall.

"As the land endures, I endure. As the land withers, so do I wither. As parasites drain the life of the people, so do they drain my life. That is why you were summoned. That is why you have risen as my chosen servants. Osirion needs no dead kings on false thrones, no undead pox on my land. My descendant reigns in Sothis and I mean to see his reign grow mighty and for the land to bloom once more, free from the yoke of tyrants and foreigners."

He looks at Shad and Thorrpe.

"No offense."

"Now, now there'sss...no need to be quite ssso hasssty my...friends. Were you to ssshatter...the mask you would only releassse the sssoul of the Pharaoh and risssk...bringing him back to life."

Ibrahim the Grey appears behind you in the room with a sudden aura of power surrounding him.

"I didn't pick you from the...detritusss of Wati only to have empower Hakotep'sss rebirth. No, you were chosssen to be my agentsss to ssstop him. Didn't at leassst one of you get my...messsage?"

Frankincenssse is indeed a good...choice. The oil isss more...intimate however there isss a risssk of being...asssked to apply it.

Ibrahim chuckles.

I recommend a...sssilver frankincenssse. It is quite...cossstly but ssstill the best you buy. A sssmall container to...keep it in wouldn't be a terrible idea either. Perhapsss...bronze? Gold is a bit too...extravagant but bronze is highly prized asss a traditional metal. I jussst ssso happen to have ssseveral...itemsss that might ssserve.

Ibrahim is an old Osiriani male human. You notice nothing out of place about him.

The merchant chuckles at Tariq's question.

I was born in a wadi near...Sssothisss if that'sss what you mean.

Muminofrah of Sssothisss isss...no ssstranger to food from all...I've heard. If you want to flatter her however a...traditional, ssshall we sssay, gift could be sssomething asss sssimple asss a flagrant flasssk of...oil?

He smiles at the thought of Dwalindor presenting a flask of scented oil to Muminofrah.

Yesss, that might work. Or if you prefer a less sssuggestive gift, white frankincense...might work for you. However you are sssubject to the...whimsss of nobility. Trussst me when I tell you that...you can never predict them.

Now his eyes take on the gleam of avarice you remember from Wati.

How...much...did you want to ssspend?

As it happens you do have a friend in town who knows how to get things...

After several visits to various bazaars you find yourself in a small square dominated with stalls filled to the brim with exotic goods. A profusion of amphorae, rugs, food stuffs, bronze work and glass pieces combine with several small food stalls to overwhelm the senses.

In the middle of that stands your friend, Ibrahim the Grey. An old, wizened man wearing a grey robe belted with plain leather, his sun-darkened skin a contrast to the Chelaxian merchant he's bargaining with.

When he sees you he turns with a bright smile of too-white teeth.

Why hello...there my good friendsss. I had thought that you...would be at the librariesss sssearching for...information to help Thorrpe. What bringsss you to the...Sssmall Market?

Ibrahim smiles as you arrive in the city, looking forward to new profitable areas in the city of Tephu and having brought along tons of items from a desperate populace looking to sell heirlooms and goods for scare gold.

The Great Library isss the...largest library in Osssirian. If you ssseek knowledge it isss here if it isss...anywhere. I will be in the city near the...marketplace for when you...need me.

His smile broadens.

And you will...need me. The merchantsss in Tephu are quite...untrussstworthy.

Good news, I had a Latin teacher who was catchy with acronyms. Just remember "PAIN": poeta, agricola, incola and nauta. The four masculine nouns with feminine endings.

Ibrahim nods.

[b]I do. However there may be an...extra charge.[/ooc]

Ibrahim smiles.

Yesss, the library at Tephu could be the...place to resssearch that information! Asss it happensss I have a caravan...heading that way. Perhapsss you three would like to accompany me on my...journey?

Ibrahim greets you on the Temple steps, looking quite severe.

I felt a....burssst of magic jussst now. It ssseemsss you have failed, sssomething I sssadly...failed to take into account. It hasss been sssome time sssince my...judgement wasss ssso wrong.

He taps his long fingers against his chin.

Nonethelesssss it isss good to sssee you, my friendsss. The city wasss growing calmer and fortunately the bodiesss...sssuitable for necromancy are being dessstroyed in the...living portion of the city. The Necropolissss is still lossst however. A...pity you were unable to sssave it. Now come inssside we have...much to dissscussssss.

Level up!

Ibrahim will turn those too-white teeth on to Takara and smile.

Excellent, you are mossst...wissse to accept my help.

He'll retrieve a cyprus box and inside is a beautifully made, weathered wand.

Thisss is a...preciousss memento but giving it to you is the leassst I could do for sssuch...brave heroesss asss yourssselvesss. It isss a wand that usssesss energy from the sssun to charge itssself even if it isssn't a...large number of chargesss.

Wand Of Solar Healing
This wand allow the wielder to cast cure moderate wounds as cast by a 7th level cleric. Each casting uses one charge, and the wand has a maximum of three charges. For each day the wand is exposed to sunlight for at least one hour it regains a charge.

I am happy to...purchase whatever you want to sssell for a...fair market price, or sssell sssomething you might need; and perhapsss I can give you a...sssmall token of my esssteem if you'd like it?

Ibrahim looks utterly nonplussed when Thorrpe introduces his shadow and you can't be sure - not positively sure - but you think Ibrahim's shadow bows its head to Shad independently of Ibrahim.

I am a...merchant here in Wati and I...assssssisssssst adventurersss who need sssuppliesss and other...sssundriesss.

He'll smile showing suspiciously white teeth to Takara.

No need to...whisssper my dear, my hearing worksss quite...well ssso I'm happy to addressssss you my...ssself.

He flutters a hand and a large man will bring an umbrella out to shade Ibrahim.

You all look bedraggled, maybe I can...help?

But Dwalindor, my...good assssssociate, I can be of great...help to you if you need it? Sssurely there'sss sssomething you...need to be coming back here ssso sssooon?

Ibrahim walks out and waves at you with his spidery fingers.

Welcome back my...friendsss. You ssseem to be in a...ssspot of bother, may I be of humble...assssssissstance?

Dwalindor takes exception at the merchant reaching for Rameth but restrains himself from pulling Lucy.

Probably a good idea.

Ibrahim is obviously perturbed by the mask that you've found - not necessarily devastated or scared, more alarmed.

My...apologiesss...I have...read about thessse kindsss of masssksss in ancient ssscrollsss bought from...explorersss in the wildernessss but had not...thought to see one here in...Wati.

He shakes his head.

Very...well. You may have the ussse of a...driver and wagon. I will sssend my...best men to help you.

He claps his hands sharply and three of the largest Garundi men you've ever seen exit the warehouse. Not one is less than 6' 6", and all are heavily muscled.

Ibrahim gestures at you and speaks rapidly in Polyglot to them.

The men bow and bring out a wagon to help.

May you have a sssafe...journey and return. Ssshall I be ssstoring your...itemsss when you come back?

Ah, that'sss most...kind of you to think of me in your moment of...triumph, however there have been...developmentsss ssshall we sssay?

He wave his hand at the barricades in front of his warehouse.

Tell me, how much do you have to...transssport? Asss there isss a large need for men just now and ssseveral of my...employeesss have been hired by the civil guard.

He flashes his too-white teeth at you.

Asss you might imagine, they are...mossst willing to part with a goodly portion of their...treasssury. You would have to be a fool not to...take advantage of their generosssity.

Ibrahim himself is sitting out front behind the barricades at a small table with an umbrella providing him shade and a pretty young woman cooling him with a palm frond while he sips from a porcelain cup.

He smiles when he sees you.

Ah, my good...friends the...Maze Minders. I was hoping that you'd survived...the attack at the Canny Jackal. What brings you to my...humble shop?

His crooked smile appears and you see an unfamiliar gleam in his eye.

A bargain, perhapsss but...a bargain for whom?

He claps his hands and a functionary comes forward with a chest. He opens the chest and counts out 65 gold bars worth 10 gp each.

Here you are my...friend, 650 measssuresss of gold.

He takes the masky and bundles them together to be placed on a cart.

Would you...like a ride back to town? No charge I...assssure you.

I mussst confessss I have an...inordinate fondness for funerary masssksss. Tell me, did you...find any unusual onesss?

As you emerge you see that Albus and Sumak have returned with Ibrahim - and a team of porters. Heavily armed, as all good expeditions into the Necropolis are, you see they're placing Khelru's burned body on a cart while Aziz talks price with Ibrahim.

When he sees you he excuses himself from the grieving wizard and approaches you give his modest bow.

Gentlemen, I am ssso...pleasssed to sssee you have emerged victoriousss from the depths. Your friendsss have been...telling me all about your adventuresss.

He smiles wide, showing his white teeth.

Perhapsss their fearsss for your safety are merely...exaggerated? But thisss need not be a wasssted trip, sssurely there are itemsss in the depthsss that we could asssissst you in...moving?

I'd like...to point out to all of you at thisss juncture that had you taken up Ibrahim on hisss...offer you'd have a vendor tent...jussst outssside the temple.

Very well, I will ressspect...your wissshes. You may find me and my men at the sssame tent we...were at yesssterday.

He gives a pleasant bow and collects his men and walks away.

Ah, I sssee I haven't made...myssself clear. Now that there are adventurersss coming out of the tombsss and other...placesss there are ssscavengersss moving in to attack and claim the treasssuresss...as their own.

He parts his hands out in a gesture that decries the wickedness of the world.

However, sssince you and your companionsss have been...ssso sssuccesssful in the ruinsss I thought that my own sssmall businessss could provide a modest amount of sssecurity outside the area you are exploring to prevent sssuch a terrible...occurrence from befalling you.

Ah, it'sss true that we have made a deal to ssstore goodsss, but my...friendsss, I believe that my men could be of help...sssecuring the groundsss of whatever old building you have cleared out.

Ibrahim's oily smile graces you with the disconcerting view of brilliant white teeth.

And perhapsss for a sssmall fee...we could help providing additional itemsss to you asss you need them?

As you are exiting the temple you see a prosperous-looking Ibrahim waiting for you, surrounded by his normal bearers.

Ah, my good friendsss how...wonderful to sssee you again. I underssstand you're heading to the lassst location on your exploration. Perhapsss you have changed your mind regarding my ssservices for transssport?

Excellent, I am glad we can come to an...underssstanding.

He motions over a group of men, led by a large Osirian man with the inevitable Khopesh who looks like a muscle laden, shaven baboon.

Djau, pleassse...asssissst Rameth with a return to hisss dig sssite. Remember to get a...receipt for Rameth of all the goodsss we take into posssesssion for him.

He turns towards you and claps his hands.

Not to worry, Djau is one of my bessst men.

Resolving the haunt gave you the warm, satisfied glow of a job well done. (XP!) Also it would make the Pharasman church happy since you're laying people to rest.

Bessss would laugh to hear of me...paying you to perform a ssservice! However, to appeassse...your...numerological bent I might sssell the ssscroll for cossst of twelve and one half hedj?

If...sssomeone of your party wasss to go along to...cassst the ssspell.

The same oily smile you've seen so many times pools on his lower face.

Rameth, you can see your, still unnamed, dog flatten its six ears and crouch at the approach of Ibrahim.

I didn't mean to imply Ibrahim was there outside the gate, he's not omniscient (or is he?). And is that the same deal on all the treasure? I need to know for the auction he mentioned earlier in the AP.

As you travel to the gate of the Necropolis you see that Ibrahim and his gang of workers have set up a base camp for adventurers and explorers.

A wide tent with broad purple borders on a white background flutters in the breeze as other adventurers meet with similarly colorless clerks. His workers and guards are ferrying items, and in some cases bodies, back into the city on hand carts.

Ah, Rameth, my...good friend. It isss ssso nice to...sssee you at my little essstablissshment.

He waves a hand at the surroundings.

Of courssse I'd be...pleasssed to help you. If you could simply provide the map that the Pharasssmansss gave...you at the ssstart of the day'sss adventuresss asss well asss a...brief dessscription of what you found there I'd be mossst eager to help.

He takes out a wax tablet to inscribe notes on.

Tell me my...good...friend, you sssay mending is thisss magical mending? That kind of expertissse comesss at a price. Sssay...thirteen Osssirani hedj? A hedj is a silver coin the equivalent of 1 gold piece.

Roll Perception for me Sumak, Azubah and Rameth.

If you're feeling sad and lonely, there's a service he can render...

Good...morning, my young friendsss. It gladensss my...heart that you are eager to continue exploring the Necropolisss.

He waves at his men, who are carrying the khopeshs yesterday and now have pouches apparently filled with tiny vials of water.

Our deal from yesterday wasss...mossst profitable for the both of usss I'm sssure. My men would be happy to accompany you today asss well, for our agreed upon rate. Thisss would ensssure that you are able to take any itemsss found immediately from thisss...Houssse of Pentheru.

His smile spreads like an oil stain across his face as he looks at you.

Sssadly my...ready casssh isss a bit low after your lassst haul. However I'd be happy to ssstore anything you have recovered for later sssale to the right buyers?

Ibrahim's dry rattle of a laugh tumbles out of him.

I wasss going to compromissse with sssix and a half percent, which isss of courssse halfway between your...offer...of three percent and my initial offer of ten percent. And while Sssumak hasss been most...compelling regarding the benefitsss of working with your...particular...team, there are other explorersss who might be more...accomodating?

He nods as he speaks, as if he's speaking the most reasonable of compromises.

But I can sssee you have the...heart of a merchant. I will sssettle for five percent, and perhapsss after you have ssseen the benefitsss of...partnerssship.

Ibrahim rattles a dry laugh.

Sssurely you're not sssuggessssting you cleared the whole Necropolisss?

He waves a hand around and you notice that many of his men have well-used khopesh and clubs hanging at their belts, but seem truly nervous about being where they are.

There isss a reassson the Pharasssmansss have allowed you...adventurerssss...into the tombsss. Sssimply put, no other men are willing to clear the detritusss of the centuriesss out of the city.

The participantsss of the lottery each have three...tombsss to explore. Sssurely you underssstand that you cannot keep treasssuresss in a room at the inn? And I am only offering to act asss a middle man for you at an auction sssure to be held sssoon. Unlessss you think you can sssell off your findsss amongst the glut of...many sssuch finds and recoup full value?

Now...now...letsss not be hasssty. Sssurely you can sssee the obviousss benefitsss of my...ssservicesss. How about we sssettle on...ssseven percent. A fair compromissse, and enough recompenssse for the danger my men take in coming into...the Necropolisss.

Now, now, no need to take that sssupiciousss tone. Our fee isss modessst, a mere tenth of the fundsss you would collect from the treasssuresss below.

Sssurely you sssee that if you were to...Attempt to collect all the treasssuresss from the tombssss you were to explore it would take longer to retrieve the...Itemsss from the variousss cryptsss than to explore them to begin with!

He steeples his fingers together and his smiles is partially hidden behind his raised hands.

I assssure you my team is entirely trussstworthy and isss capable of assisting you. Sssurely you have made your own essstimate of the worth of the itemsss although there will be a...Glut of sssuch items in the bazaarsss, I know ssseveral people who could...Auction off your findsss.

The old man looks at you and smiles slowly as he sees you.

Ah, Sssumak, I sssee your com-Panionsss have emerged alive.

His voice is strange, as he emphasizes the wrong syllable or word in each sentence, and his eyes glimmer with a hidden avarice. His "s" are drawn out with a snake-like sound each time they are pronounced.

Greetingsss, my Name is I-Brahim and Sssumak here has told me that you need transss-portation of various commoditiesss. For a sssmall fee my workersss and I can help you asss you retrieve itemsss from the City of the Dead.

His smile turns oily as he starts to speak of a fee.