Araby Quest (Reboot)

Examine the Trees (Examine the Secondary Signatures): 86+17 (Learning)=103

The second mystical signature was a frustration. Magic had a sensory experience to it. One of the core markers of a magician was in being able to sense magic. Oftentimes, it took the form of an extraordinary version of an existing sense. The most common was sight where magic was presented as specific colors.

Fire was red, moving from a dark red that neared brown to pale almost white. Earth was yellow in a similar manner, moving from almost brown to a bright gold. The same was true for Water and Air. All magic moved in this spectrum, no matter how small that amount was, so why was it not true for this?

At first, you suspected it was another sub-element, but this did not match your understanding of sub-elements as your admittedly small experience of one sub-element showed. Wood had a color. You could see a bright green. This did not. You could only grasp it by looking at the spaces where the green was absent or where it was expanding.

Confronted with an unfamiliar phenomenon, you did what both your family and master had taught you. You began collecting data.

It took some time, but two things stood out to you. One, the presence of the invisible energy in the trees was not uniform. Two, the trees with less of the invisible energy had more developed roots systems, ring counts, and were taller compared to the trees with more invisible energy. You came up with two possible answers. One was that the invisible energy was inhibiting the growth of the trees. The second answer you viewed as more likely was that this is the fuel source.

This was a problem. To produce a magical effect requires three parts. A linguistic framework providing form and function, the will of the practitioner providing control in the process of casting it, and magic aligned to the linguistic framework to fuel the effect. This resulted in what the uninitiated called a spell. Yet, there were two magical forces present, and you were not sure what the relationship between the two was.

Choose between the two options:
[] Wood is the result of the spell. This places Wood in the linguistic category and invisible energy in the fuel category. Opens Wood Sub-Category: What and how causes the transformation of the invisible energy into Wood?

[] Wood is used in conjunction with invisible energy. This places Wood and invisible energy both in the fuel category. Opens Wood Sub-Category: What is the synergistic relationship between Wood and the invisible energy?
Experiment with Wood: 30 +17 (Learning)+ 5 (Lore: Magic) =52
Observation Trial #023: Sensory Experience of Sub-Element Wood (KF)

Method of Interaction: Practitioner channeled KF directly for a period of minute with ten-minute breaks for a block of six hours. This was done over a week.

Data Recorded:
Visual Experience: Vibrant green with bits of a darker green.
Bodily Experience: Practitioner felt stronger, healthier, and in general greater vitality than before.

Hypothesis:
KF shows possible connection with concepts of Vitality/Health.

Areas of Error:
Individual Practitioner
Unfamiliar Phenomena

Gain Insight (Wood: Vitality)
You have learned one of Wood's conceptual states.
Review the Cleric's Archives (Arcane Texts): Roll: 1d4: Air Magic
How Good of a Collection Did He Have: 75

Ashar, son of Kamran, the cleric of Mabbah had a pretty length collection of tomes and treatises on Air Magic. Something that was surprising given that some of the tomes were practical manuals on how to perform spells and you doubted a cleric would have enough ability and skill to perform spells of a greater complexity than those in the Lesser and Petty categories. You had catalogued his collection of the following books:

(Maaz's Commentaries on the Fundamental Principles of Existence Req 70: 99+17 (Learning)+5 (Lore: Magic)=121)
Maaz was a magician and monist who seemed to hold the belief that Air was the first element or arche, a Reman term meaning the source. This was a common debate among magicians of a more philosophical bent. The question of why there was something instead of nothing and what was the cause of something remained the source of many an argument and fistfight throughout Araby.

You were not sure of the validity of Maaz's arguments, but you would not deny the systematic and persuasive nature of his writing. The general shape of his theory seemed centered around a dynamic system of condensation, the process of solidifying air, and rarefaction, the process of thinning air. It was these processes which transformed Air into its derivative elements and that with sufficient skill and ability, a magician could actively wield this process. Maaz had not achieved this level of skill, but he suspected that the Uniter did. Though that was like saying someone suspected the Sun was bright. If there was anyone capable of it, it was probably the Uniter.

Gain Insight (Arche: Air)
You've found the argument of Air being the first and fundamental element persuasive, perhaps you should investigate more on your own.

(The Sayings of the Uniter as Recorded by Kamran al-Haruti Req 80: 8+17 (Learning)+5 (Lore: Magic)=30)
There are legends among your order. People for whom entire scholastic lineages are traced to as its their founder. Amira the Desert Queen achieved the near impossible task of binding an Ardi and a Jinni into a single ring which granted her dominion over the desert. Muqtar the Lover won the heart of a Greater Marid and so never feared a single day on the sea. The 70th​ Sahkrat Naria al-Dawla* sacrificed their name and history to win the service of ten Ardi and brought low armies of the Dead Nehekhara. All of them legends, all of them heroes, and all of them sat under the shadow of the Uniter*.

He was the pinnacle of what a magician could do. He and he alone won the favor of the Sovereigns of the World, the rulers of each tribe and clan of spirit in Araby. If he had desired it, the sky would grow dark, the earth shake, and the seas rise. He had created the Cult of the Jinn and so strengthened the bond between the people and spirits of Araby. He led armies and defeated the Sea Elves, returning the land to its people. He beat Elvish war magicians in battle. Age-old masters of the occult science and he had won in open battle against them. He united a multitude of disparate peoples into a single polity, becoming the first Caliph and Sultan of All Araby.

It was then a tragedy everything he ever wrote or made was lost millennia ago. Be it by the Undead, the Northmen, or the foolishness of his inheritors, his works had long since disappeared. Relics that would have seen the entirety of your order march under a common banner to return. Books whose scraps were worth sultanates.

Yet, while his personal works had vanished, his students had not forgotten their master's lessons and so wrote them down to share them with each successive generation of magician. Kamran had been his last student and a powerful magician in his own right. Unfortunately, Kamran wrote in a near intelligible proto-Classic Arabyan. That frustrated you as it was not Low Nehekharan nor was it Classic Arabyan, but an indistinguishable mix. You could not make heads or tails of it.

Require Fluency in Unknown Language to continue reading.

(Basic Instruction on the Manipulation of the Wind by Khadija, the 65th Asifa al-Dawla Req 50: 89+17 (Learning)+5 (Lore: Magic)=111)

Asifa al-Dawla, the Storm of the State, was the title awarded to the head of the Order of Air and Water. Khadija al-Saadi had been the 65th​ to bear the title and rank. She never won any great battles or performed any singular feat of note, but she was a prolific teacher and writer. Much of the contemporary education of wielding both Air and Water magic had been developed by her.

All of this was shown in the book she wrote. It was as its title said. A manual that instructed its reader on how to wield Air magic with the highest level of success. Khadija wrote it with the expectation that whoever read it was of the lowest level of intelligence possible for a human to have and still be conscious. Part of you felt some insult on behalf of all young magicians, but on other hand, you knew plenty of morons.

Gain Skill: (Lore: Air Magic) (Basic II)
You have gained a foothold in understanding Air Magic. +2 to Learning related to Air Magic

Can attempt to learn the following spells:
Air Cloak
The Jinni's Annoyance
Wind's Edge
Oxidation

Principles of War as Applied to Air Magic by Samina ibnat Kurshid Req 70: 34+17 (Learning)+5 (Lore: Magic)=56
Samina, daughter of Khurshid, was one of the most feared and respected war magicians in the nation. Nearly two decades of life had seen her fight Tilean and Estalian warships, Sartosan pirate-lords, dark magicians, and every other foe you could imagine and some you couldn't. She rose to the rank of Pir* and settled into semi-retirement*. In this time, she wrote a book on the subject she knew better than anyone else.

Unfortunately, you could not quite grasp the subject. Somethings made sense, but other things seemed utterly absurd. Samina's writing did not help as she wrote primarily from her perspective. When she tried to explain a principle, she used her experiences to provide an example. Something that was not helpful given she experienced magic through smell. There was no explanation of what the sensory information meant.

You floundered and eventually gave up understanding what was being said.

Ninety-Nine Axioms of the Wind by Abu Tahira Req 70: 92+17 (Learning)+5 (Lore: Magic)= 114
Thankfully, the next book was far easier. Abu Tahira was a magician from Gobi-Atalan who spent his life focused on understanding Air magic and in that time, he summarized it into ninety-nine self-evident premises. From there, he expanded further and to his skill as a writer, you were never lost.

In fact, his logic seemed to flow from one point to the other as easily as the wind, strengthening your understanding of Air Magic.

Gain Skill: (Lore: Air Magic) (Basic III)
Your understanding of Air Magic has expanded. +3 to Learning related to Air Magic.
Visit the Southern Forest (Speak with the Elephant Mouse Ardi)
Bring a Better Wine: 16
Visit the Southern Forest (Speak with the Elephant Mouse Ardi): 90+15 (Diplomacy)+4 (Etiquette: Jinn)-10 (Couldn't Find a Better Wine) =99

You returned to the Southern Forest, a grim look on your face and a jug of cane wine in your hands. The favorite drink of sailors and the only available liquor on the Beloved. You hoped the ardi shared the same tastes as the crew of the Beloved.

Finding the same spot as before, you knelt, laid out the bowl, and poured the cane wine into it. You repeated the recitation and waited.

"So, you came back," said the elephant mouse ardi, sniffing the bowl, "And you brought...ugh cane wine? Am I one of those moist morons who faff about, playing games with the idiots on those wooden prisons? You couldn't find a nice Bordelen vintage? I swear the quality of poets* has degraded,"

You tuned out the ardi. You had tried the nice option. It was time to do it Mama's way.

"I should--"

"You will do nothing, but answer my questions," you said, echoing the same voice and tone Mama took against aggressive nobles and magnates.

"Oh, will I? What great power do you have that will make me do that, little poet?"

"I am the student of Saleh, son of Khalid who is bond-brother of Suzan, daughter of Haroun, the caliph of al-Haikki. Tell me, you arrogant pebble. Have you heard of why she is known as the Incinerator?"

"I have," he said, voice empty of any of the emotion he had prior.

"Then you should know what will happen if I should return to her and tell her that a presumptuous clump of dirt stood in way of completing the task she personally assigned to me. What do you think is greater, oh Great Lord of the Earth? Your stone or Nasuh's fire?"

The ardi did not speak for a moment before slashing the air with its trunk. You saw a flash of Yellow.

"Now little poet, tell me. For what reason has the Beloved of Nasuh* sent you so far from her domain?"

You can ask three questions.
[] Do you know who is the jinni plaguing Mabbah?
[] Do you know what happened to the people of Mabbah?
[] Do you know why the town of Mabbah is being plagued by a jinni?
[] Do you know anything about Wood?
[] Write-In
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Arabyan Trivia:
Sakhrat Naria al-Dawla (Firestone of the State): This is the title of the head of the Order of Earth and Fire. The current one is Ali ibn Umm Karim, 140th to bear the title.

The Uniter: The Uniter's name was lost to history. The Northmen have erroneously called him Mullah Atklan'd, believing the first to be a title and the second to be his first name. This is only slightly true. Actually, both are titles. Mulla Aclan actually means the Brave Master as when the Uniter was alive, mulla meant master and not its later meaning of a learned scholar. Some of his other nicknames are Father of the State (Abu Dawla), First of the Wise (Awal al-Hakim), and a popular name among non-magicians Sign of the Spirits (Ayatu-l-Arwah).

Pir (Elder): The second highest rank in the Brethren of the Wise. Only a caliph is higher.

Samina ibnat Khurshid: Her semi-retirement is split between spoiling her grandchildren and bringing ruin to the occasional idiot who angers or annoys her.

Sha'ir (Poet): Before the Uniter, magicians were called poets as they relied on their ability to create songs and poems to convince Jinn to help them. This is the term still used by Jinn to refer to magicians.

Beloved of Nasuh (Habib al-Nasuh): When a magician makes a covenant with a Greater Jinni, they are given the title of Beloved, a callback to the old legends of Jinn falling in love with humans. Nasuh is a Greater Ifrit in covenant with Suzan ibnat Haroun, Caliph of al-Haikk.
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Lose Curse: Remember the Ardi.
Gain Skill:
(Lore: Air Magic) (Basic III)
Gain Insight:
(Arche: Air)
Gain Insight:
(Wood: Vitality)

There will be a two-hour moratorium. Please discuss. If you have a question, let me know.

Do you know what happened to the people of Mabbah: 21
Do you know why the town of Mabbah is being plagued by a jinni: 61
Do you know anything about Wood: 100

"The town of Mabbah sent for aid regarding trouble they had with one of the local spirits. I was sent to address the situation," you said. A rather reduced retelling of a very terrifying meeting in your master's sitting room as red-orange eyes stared into yours and the acrid smell of smoke filled the air. One request that was just an order in polite clothing later. You were on a ship.

"Ah, that," said the ardi. You did not say anything but raise an eyebrow.

"The powerful acted against the powerless, little poet. A story old and well-recorded in the histories of our peoples. What else is there to be said?"

"Details, perhaps? Such as exactly why? Or what happened to the people?" you asked. It had long been suspected that Jinn did not communicate with words, but rather in some unseen way given how much they seemed to expect you to already know what they knew. Your master just thought they loved seeming mysterious. More theatrical than those Tileans you love to go watch.

"The latter I have no clue. The tragedies of others are not concerns of mine. As for the former, curiosity. He has always been eager to explore the limits of what can be known and done. Consign it to bittersweet fate that those people were chosen to suffer in his experiment,"

"One last question. Do you know anything about Wood?"

"Wood? Do you see sprigs upon me or twigs or branches? Does the grass grow where I step? Go bother the Ancient One if you want to understand that foolishness,"

"Where might I find this Ancient One?"

The ardi paused and then spoke,

"Better for me to speak to her and bring her here. She is not kind to interlopers and those who aid interlopers. Be ready to flee,"

"Thank you, Great Lord of the Earth," you said.

"Thank me if you remain among the living. Otherwise, save your breath to run," said the ardi, leaving as he did before.

Some time passed before the ardi returned with a figure. You thought it was an elf at first. Its height and pointed ears and facial features matched the merchants whose ships captured your attention as a child. Only you had never seen an elf with her skin color. It was a dark green, almost black. Her eyes were a bright luminescent green. Yet, her smile which was so big and bright did not do anything but make you think of a jackal's grin. Standing before its meal of the day.

(Ancient One's Reaction: 39-20 (Hatred of Men) +10 (Positive Words) =29)

"Fa'fil'sa'hir tells me you seek wisdom. Is this true, child?" she asked in a soft and gentle voice, but her tone did nothing to hide the hatred infusing every syllable. You could feel it in the air, against your skin, and in the depths of your mind. A vitriol that had curdled into an acid so corrosive even a whiff would melt you away. You had never felt as strongly as this. It reached as deep as the heart of the world. This was an emotion older than you, your grandmother, and your whole family. A hatred as old as man's time upon the world. Ah, you could see why she was called the Ancient One.

"Yes, Great Lady of the Forest. I do," you said.

"Do you know what the cost of wisdom is, child?"

"I--" the ardi said, but the Ancient One silenced him with a look before turning back to you.

"Comfort, Great Lady," you said, finishing the age-old aphorism.

"Ambiguous words to hide its truest answer. The cost of wisdom is blood, child. Will you pay the price?"

"What will I gain, Great Lady?"

She tilted her head, "Did you not hear, child? Wisdom. Is that not enough?"

Choose an option. The Ancient One hates humans and if you want to gain anything from her, it will cost you pain and blood.

[] Be Tortured:




[] Offer a Body Part:

[] Refuse. She asks too much for far too little.

The price of wisdom was comfort. The aphorism repeated in your head as you considered her offer. Part of you told you to reject it. That nothing was worth suffering or risking permanent injury, but the price of wisdom was comfort. You heard this so many times before.

Have you ever been hungry, Nala?

You had not answered her. Embarrassment and fear held your tongue. You had never been hungry. You could not remember a time when hunger meant anything more than a minor irritation. One solved by a servant bringing you whatever snack you preferred.

Even in the pursuit of understanding, you had faced challenges, but you had not paid. Not truly. Neither Mama or Baba nor Jiddi or any of your siblings would allow it. You were the baby. Always the baby of your family. Always needing protection.

Your ancestors did not need such things.

They knew hunger. They knew struggle. With only faith and hard-earned wisdom, they had won their way to a new land. You sat comfortably in the wake of their success. They had paid the price for you. Was this to be your life? Always having the price paid for you by someone else.

Am I really considering torture?

Knowledge was worth any price. Your family and your master said this to you. Could you truly call yourself one of the Wise and pass this opportunity up? You knew of so many covenants paid in blood. Was this any different?

You closed your eyes and sighed. You looked her back in the eyes and nodded.

1st​ Roll 30: 22+16 (Piety)=38

"Then let us begin," the Ancient One said and with a flash of green, pain was all there was.

Flesh parted and blood poured out as roots tore into your body. They tunneled their way through every vein and artery. Their movement visible underneath your skin. You could feel your bones crack as they intruded into your very marrow. Sharp, so sharp thorns surrounded your heart, plunging deep with every beat.

You did not scream, because your very throat was full. Roots moving up into your mouth, digging into your gums and teeth. Always pushing forward, tendrils bore through the roof of your mouth and into your brain. Thoughts vanished into a delirium as brain-matter speared with a hundred thousand little harpoons.

The Ancient One vanished as roots popped your very eyes.

You could not breathe. You could not see. You could not scream. You could only feel and all you felt was pain. Not just the pain of your flesh and bone being ripped apart, but a hundred different agonies without even the privilege of going insanity.

Here in this place of horror, you reached for Her.

In the name of the Most Merciful,
We seek Your aid.
Lead us upon the straight path that sits beneath Your shadow.
Calm the worries of our hearts with the gentle touch of Your palm
Quench our thirst with the waters of Your cup.
Release us from our burdens with the edge of Your knife.

The pain did not disappear. You did not escape. You did not feel Her touch, but you stood upright. Despite everything, you stood upright.

2nd​ Roll 60: 100+16 (Piety)=116
Does Dhat-Rahima Notice DC 80: 86
How Does She Feel About This: 1
How Does She React: 1

"You have had a taste, child. Now, let us truly feast," said the Ancient One. With that, pain receded. Relief flooded forward only to dry up as a hundred suns throughout your body exploded into existence. Only to subsid just as quick and explode into agony in the breadth of a second. This pattern repeated into an eternity. Relief followed by pain. Relief followed by pain. An eon of continuous pain and no ability to adapt.

A ragged thought repeating itself in the chaos of torture. A desperate plea. The most primal prayer. The one you knew first before you knew any formal invocation.

Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help--

The pain stopped as cool, gentle relief flood through your body. The darkness and heat recede to an expanding white, the taste and feel of ice-cold mint water. You floated in the expanse of white, free in every sense.
Her body was torn up by Sa'gha'kha's work. Flesh carved open and blood painted the earth. Yet, the poet was still alive as her heart wrapped in thorns continued to beat its rapid rhythm. To harm the flesh without causing death was a sign of mastery. Something Sa'gha'kha had spent many years to achieve.

Fa'fil'sa'hir wondered why he remained. He had no great love for humans. He saw little value in them. The reverence others spoke of made no sense to him and he had lived well without it. Perhaps it was curiosity. So very few passed Sa'gha'kha's tests. Maybe this poet would be different.

Fa'fil'sa'hir raised his head as the regard of a behemoth came upon them. A feeling he had felt so few times before ran through him, freezing him where he stood. The Veil grew tenuous as a ponderous weight brought to bear where the poet stood. The Veil tore and from it, pouring out Purity and Life. Thorns and roots of Sa'gha'kha burned away and muscle and bone were set right as flesh was regrown over them. Newly made eyes opened to reveal the clean sterile light of the desert sun.

The mighty beast rose and headed straight to Sa'gha'kha. She shifted to her war form. Flesh was replaced by bark and fingers became claws. She called Life to her, but her will was slapped aside and Life dissipated away.

"I-" Sa'gha'kha attempted to speak, but the mighty thing grabbed her face and slammed it into the dirt.

The beast raised a foot and stomped down on Sa'gha'kha. They did it again and again. Sa'gha'kha tried to resist, to break free, and each time, failed as the power of this great and mighty beast smashed aside any defense she could muster.

Splinters of bark and green-black ichor spilled out, covering the red earth. Nothing was said save wood snapping and muffled screams.

"Me-Mercy!" Sa'gha'kha managed to cry, but no mercy came. He watched her body broken apart and her spirit wrenched free into the monster's hands. He watched, despite every desire otherwise, her spirit screamed as the suffering continued.

Why did she threaten Nasuh's fire when this monster sat ready?
Does Dhat-Rahima leave you anything: 90
Roll to see what Dhat-Rahima gives: 2 (Mercy of the Palm)
Do you know who it is, DC 60: 17+16 (Piety)+5 (Theology: Dhat-Rahima)=38

You awake to a deep blue moving into purple sky. You let out a yawn, stretching your arms over your head. Why had you fallen asleep out in the forest of all places? You scratched your cheek. Wait. Who was that?

A woman in all white squatted next to you. She looked as old as Mama and very familiar, but why was she in the forest.

"Can I help you?" you asked, pushing yourself upright to a sitting position.

She did not say anything but pointed to your right hand. You looked down and hesitantly held it out for her. The woman in white took in warm, soft hands. With a finger, she drew lines and curves and to your great shock, black lines and curves followed like her finger was a pen. She continued to draw. The ink changed from black to green in some places. You did not know how long it took, but it felt like an eternity and a second.

When she finished, she pulled away and you looked at it in full. Her work was beautiful. You realized it was calligraphy. The calligrapher had shaped the letters into a tree with black and green ink. It reached down from the back of your hand to your elbow with some branches wrapping around. You read the letters to see it was the First Invocation of the Most Merciful with a small message after it.


You looked up to see she was gone. Looking around, you could not see any sign of her at all.

"That made no sense," you muttered.

"Your Holiness! Are you okay?" shouted Reza, his voice carrying in the quiet of the night.

"I'm fine," you said in answer. You rose, stretching out the last of the kinks. Well, that was a waste. You were getting worried and annoyed. Have you run out of time? Did you fail?

Pointless to waste time on thoughts that will do nothing to help you move forward.

The thought cut through your rising worries. That was right. No point in wasting time on worries when there is work to do.

Gain: Mercy of the Palm
A random woman in white gave you a tattoo. You are not sure why, but at least, it's nice.
Abilities: ???

Organizing Thoughts, DC 30/60/90/120: 47+17 (Learning)+5 (Lore: Jinn)+5 (Lore: Magic)=91

You sat in the cleric's office. Reza and Dayiel were there. Both standing this time.

"I think the being responsible for this is not a jinni," you said.

"What makes you say that Your Holiness?" asked Reza.

"When I spoke to the ardi, he said 'experimented,'. Jinn do many things, but they do not experiment. It goes against their nature. They look at power the same way a miser looks at gold. You only spend it if you're assured of getting something from it. Curiosity does not align well in that sense,"

"Your Eminence, I am the first to admit that I know nothing of the minds of the little gods, but there are merchants and nobles who will gladly spend thousands of coins on a curiosity. Why would that not be true for them whose will sets the rain and shifts the earth?" asked Reza.

"Or that they could gain something we're not aware of," said Dayiel.

"Because power is much harder to come upon than gold. Even the Greater Jinn will only act due to what they are promised to receive in exchange for their service. Pleasure and anger are strong reasons, but not strong enough to expend as much power as is needed for this, " you said, not wanting to go further as that would violate your order's secrets. For Jinn, power came in three forms. The natural accumulation of magic that happened over time, the consumption of other spiritual entities, or the worship of men. The first occurred for as long as Jinn existed, but it was far too slow. The second was far too dangerous for most. The third, however, was both safer, faster, and more reliable. This source of power was a crucial thing for Jinn as it ended the battles and wars between the clans and tribes. Now, they would just argue in the House of the Sovereigns*.

It was this one thing which made the Cult remain a part of the Brethren despite so many magicians' dislikes for the trappings and systems of religion. Without it, no tribe or clan of Jinn would suffer bindings and gladly destroy every magician for the crime. It was only the Cult which kept their anger limited to the individual magician who dared to try.

You could see they were still not convinced.

"I need you to tell me, did anyone see said jinni? Or was it just assumed that it was a spirit?" you asked.

They furrowed their brows as you imagined they searched their memories, but eventually Reza answered,

"The latter, Your Holiness," he said, his voice making clear his embarrassment.

"It is not your fault. I would not have considered it until speaking to the ardi," you said.

"If this is true, then who could it be? A devil?" Dayiel asked.

You did not think that was the answer. Mostly because no one was quite sure what that word meant. Some believed there was no such thing as a devil. That there was no proof of such blatantly malevolent entities existing. Rather, it was used to refer to hostile spirits, but not a completely separate category of being. Others argued that devils existed. Pointing to the writings of Northmen and magicians who had traveled northwards, devils were very much real and very dangerous. Though Northmen were also the same people who believed basic medicine was a form of witchery. Not to mention, the magicians of Araby were not familiar with the spirits of the North whose population may have been more hostile to non-Human life and so those spirits were naturally more hostile to people. Even if this was a true category of being, they seemed geographically constrained.

"Your Holiness?" interrupted Dayiel. You looked at him. Oh, right.

"I am leaning towards the answer of a black magician," you said. Reza muttered a curse while Dayiel made a sign of the Sun and spat to the side. Ugh. You wished he had not done that. It was rather unsanitary. Though you shared his feelings.

For the magicians of Araby, there was nothing more hated than a black magician. It was a blow to the very heart of your order and its purpose. The Uniter had ordered his students to protect the land and its peoples, be it spirit or human*. To act against this was to attack the bond between the Wise and the people. It was to invite ruin as Jaffar had done when he betrayed that sacred promise.

"But how does a black magician do this? Your Eminence, this is the level of work you hear of caliphs and pirs doing. If such a foul worker was at hand, would your people not find them?" asked Reza.

"Plus aren't their works all so wretched that the earth would not welcome them?" asked Dayiel.

"For the first one, I can offer one possible answer. Wyrdstone," you said. Of the substances available, none was as well-recorded to empowering any mystical effect than wyrdstone. It was also said to be incredibly harmful to use, but that never stopped anyone, "As for the latter, even magicians are human. After all, Jaffar stands as testament to our failings. Though Dayiel's point is a valuable one. However, a magician who uses Fire to kill an innocent is as much a black magician as the one who use death magic to defile the dead*,"

"If you suspect this, then we must send word to Lord Ata-ur-Manaf," said Reza.

This was true, but did you have enough evidence to prove this. The word of a single ardi was and circumstantial evidence was not very persuasive. Also, you were sent because of the commitment of the caliph of Gobi-Alain to whatever dispute the sultan of Gobi-Alain had with some Estalian kingdom. Perhaps you should send word to Lady Suzan. Maybe, Master Saleh. A black magician would be good enough reason to break with the norms of journeymenship.

Do you send word? This will take a week to arrive and a week to get a response:

[] Yes

[] No, you do not have enough evidence.

"That being decided, this is our plan for the month," you said.

Investigate:
[] Examine the trees

[] Experiment with Wood

[] Experiment with the invisible energy. (NEW)

[] Explore the town and see if there is any evidence to find.

[] Review the cleric's archives (NEW):
[] Visit the Southern Forest

[] Visit one of the nearby towns and see if anyone from Mabbah is there.

[] Search Ummah Tahir's goods (NEW)

[] Try to get rid of the curse on you (NEW)

[] Try to learn the Following Spells (NEW)
[] Experiment with the Mercy of the Palm (NEW)

[] Write-In
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Arabyan Trivia:

The House of the Sovereigns (Bayt al-Siyadiiyn): Before the House was established, the Jinn fought Wars of the Flesh, raids and skirmishes where the defeated would be taken as meals to be eaten by the victorious clan or tribe. It was also common for Jinn to eat human souls during this time.

The Pillars of the Uniter (Arkan al-Muahad): These were the seven principles the Uniter was said to teach to his students as their roles as magicians.

Dark Magic ('Ilm as-Sihr): In Araby, dark magic is considered the misuse of magic and death magic by itself. Though most Arabyans trust fakirs to handle all magical related phenomenon and so trust them to police themselves.
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Moratorium for two hours to allow for discussion. If you have any questions, please let me know.