Araby Quest (Reboot)
- Thread starter Whynot09
- Start date
- Fantasy
[X] Agree to Lady Suzan's demand: Gain 60% of Jameel's belongings, +2 standing and +30 favor with Lady Suzan, -2 standing with Lord Ata-ur-Manaf.
It's a pity that the diplomatic roll was unsuccessful. But in any case, it seems to me that it is now more profitable for us to stick to Lady Susan, taking into account that we are in her jurisdiction. In addition, her help can greatly help in finding a way to heal the hand.
But in any case, the loot will have to be shared with the master later. We can't be too disrespectful, and even if he refuses, I think we can give him some valuable artifacts on the pretext that we're too inexperienced to keep such dangerous things.
It's a pity that the diplomatic roll was unsuccessful. But in any case, it seems to me that it is now more profitable for us to stick to Lady Susan, taking into account that we are in her jurisdiction. In addition, her help can greatly help in finding a way to heal the hand.
But in any case, the loot will have to be shared with the master later. We can't be too disrespectful, and even if he refuses, I think we can give him some valuable artifacts on the pretext that we're too inexperienced to keep such dangerous things.
Vote closed
Turn Five: Madness in Mabbah (Aybad, 1 Hanin 3990 B.A.) Pt. 3
It was not a difficult decision to make. A caliph was always a dangerous person to anger, but that was also predicated on the amount of distance between you and them. A week's trip was far more tolerable than the one who could walk to your home. Mama had raised you to be many things. None of them was a complete idiot.
"I must agree with Lady Suzan, Lord Ata," you said in a steady voice, displaying none of the fear or worry you felt. You were not Mama or Lala or Kama. Mama could pay the commander-in-chief of the Sultan's forces, no mind. Lala smiled when arrogant princelings dared her. Kama could whisper words and send everyone fleeing. You were not incapable. You just did not have the same aptitude as they did. Sometimes you worry you have too much Baba in you. Too much of a brilliant, but obtuse man unconcerned with anything not related to medicine or his family or his horses or his miniatures or his Goddess.
Account for yourself when the time is right. Not when you stand before the powers of the land.
Oh, yeah. Lord Ata did not scowl or frown. He simply nodded. Rather easily acceptance...given his reaction beforehand.
"Now let us..." Lady Suzan stopped, "Saleh, did you read Lady Naila in?"
"No. Nothing came up that required it, but I vouch for her. The worst of her nature is her piety, but I doubt she'd betray our secrets," said Master Saleh. Wait, what secrets?
(Are you read in, DC ??: ??+?? (Her Brother's Trust)+?? (Recent Events)-?? (Paranoia)-?? (Antitheism)=75)
"Lady Naila, you have proven your dedication and loyalty to our order but allow me to make this clear. If you should share this information with anyone without approval from Sala or myself, the price will be the traditional wage for treachery. Do you understand this?" Lady Suzan said, her voice making clear that this was a yes or no question and you should definitely answer yes.
"Yes, my lady," you said, having no desire to be fed the Sovereigns of the World during the annual meeting of the caliphs.
"As you know Jaffar's fall gave his opponents in the order the opportunity to do what was necessary to save the legacy of the Uniter. Our brave forefathers and mothers blotted out Jaffar's stain with the blood of his supporters. From the most respected caliph to the meekest apprentice, the Party of Jaffar was exterminated," she said, repeating a history you knew. You had read the accounts of each major act of cleansing. The words of Samir al-Marteki as he fed a hundred followers of Jaffar to Hiran, his Marid partner before a crowd of thousands. The Black Lady personally torturing Lucia the Estalian before the people of al-Haikk, only granting her death when she recounted her allegiance. The Battle of the Heroes where the Yellow House was set ablaze and five hundred people died. Your order's failings wiped away in a sea of blood.
"Yet, for all their diligent efforts, some escaped," said Lady Suzan.
"But how?" you asked. From all the records, it had been a very detailed operation. Anyone with any connection was cleansed. Thousands upon thousands of people, all interrogated and investigated and consigned to the House of the Most Watchful.
"Never discount human failure, Naila. Be it virtue, vice, or something in-between, some were allowed to flee," said Master Saleh.
"So, you suspect Jameel was a secret follower of Jaffar?"
"We suspect all magickers. It has been a standing policy of the order to investigate all magickers as possible followers of Jaffar," said Lord Ata.
"I saw no signs of it. Jameel's methods were well within the norm save the absence of an jinn. That was odd," said Master Saleh.
"Jameel had a fear of jinn. His first master perished during a failed binding. It left him terrified of being around them," said Lord Ata. The cobra scoffed at that. Something you were not sure actual snakes could do.
"How did he become a pir?" Lady Suzan asked.
"Man had a masterful skill at direct channeling," said Master Saleh.
"Jameel had his flaws, but lack of ability was not one of them,"
Lady Suzan gave them both flat looks.
"None of us at this table received our rank purely from ability. We received them for a variety of reasons unrelated to that. So, tell me, Ata. How did Jameel make connections among his fellow magicians to have his name recommended for the rank?" Lady Suzan said each part with such slowness as if she were talking to a particularly slow pair of children.
"I... that is a good question. Gods, I confirmed his rank, but the nomination process is largely done by the Council of Elders. I'll have to review the paperwork to see which pir recommended him," said Lord Ata, tapping his finger.
"Did either of you notice anything else that was suspicious?"
"Naila, notice anything about the ritual?"
"He was using death magic, but the only other aspect I noticed was the cultic images. He used the images of a dog, a fly, a snake, and a...
"Raven," said Lady Suzan.
"Yes,"
"Wonderful, we're dealing with cultists," muttered Ata.
"Jameel was into mystery cults?" Master Saleh asked. That would have been a surprise. Mystery cults were an old hat for someone raised in
Haikki high society. Your brother was a member of one and your sister was a member of another. Your brother was a member of a sub-order of the Cult of the Most Merciful, focused on the mystical experience of Her glory and grace. In truth, it was just a collection of middle-aged adults who met every week, wore fancy outfits, and acted out some portion of the Goddess' legends while the air was thick with a minor hallucinogenic. Your sister belonged to the Cult of the Ancestors as was her place as Mama's oldest daughter. There were more exotic versions, but you saw them as excuses for noble sons and daughters to have orgies and drink odd mixtures that let you see sounds and hear colors without shame.
Magicians, however, were not fond of mystery cults. They were barely fond of cults in general. It would have been surprising to hear one being a member and it not become news among the powerful.
"Every once in a while, there's a cult pops up in Dervish or Assassin country who starts acting odd and most times, the local powers will clean up the mess. However, rarely does a cult get far too powerful and far too dangerous, far too quickly. They send word to the Cult who passes to one of the caliphs who sends a cadre of war-magicians to fix the problem. Everytime though, we've noticed a series of symbols repeating. Numerical variations of six, seven, eight, and nine. A variety of colors and relevant to Lady Naila's point; a dog, a snake, a raven, and a fly," said Lady Suzan.
"My Lady...are you saying these animal cults have some relationship with the Party of Jaffar,"
"The official term is Cults of Strife, but legend holds during Jaffar's final battle with the Invaders, he brought forth a spirit unlike any the order had record of. A raven-headed giant who seemed to wield magic with a skill beyond any Djinn,"
The cobra on Lord Ata's keffiyeh began to hiss.
"Unless you have something to share, oh Lord of Flames. I would request no interruptions,"
The cobra possibly glared but quieted down. Lord Ata gave Lady Suzan a look, but she simply ignored it.
"Since that time, we have not found any further evidence of such a creature's existence, but the image of certain idols found seem to hold some connection,"
"Wonderful. One thing to deal with revanchists. Another thing to deal with religious lunatics who are also revanchists," muttered Master Saleh.
The meeting ended soon afterwards. Lord Ata, Master Saleh, and Lady Suzan went to the treasury room. You were sent to collect both caliphs' retinues. The treasury room was guarded by a large iron door, reinforced with Jameel's apparently masterwork protections. However, Lord Ata and Lady Suzan drew on the power of their partners. The cobra on Lord Ata's keffeyeh shone a brilliant red while Lady Suzan's eyes became white.
Fire, hotter than any you had seen channeled before, burned away Jameel's protections. Lord Ata pulled out his axe and with a single cut, sliced open the door. You had so much more to go in the mastery of your art and profession.
What you found was...
(How Much Special Loot: 1)
(Rarity of Loot: 6)
A rather empty room. You expected chests of magical items. Maybe magical reagents or enchanted items. Not bare floors with only a single chest in the center. You checked over the room with your second sight. There were no further protections, but the chest was leaking out Air. A lot of Air.
Lady Suzan stepped forward, knelt and opened the chest. She rose, holding a drum. It was made of wood and animal skin. The hieroglyphics on it glowed gray and blue. Looking upon it showed not just one or two, but six jinn bound to it. All of them were actual fully-fledged wind spirits and not lesser jinn either.
"By the Lords of the World," said Lady Suzan, walking over to show a maker's mark on the bottom of the drum. R.E.A. Only one person had that maker's mark. Rakan, the fourth Storm of the State and grandson of Aziz, the first Artisan, founder of their order, and third student of the Uniter. This was a relic of your order and a fucking magicker had it.
"What does it do?" you asked, speaking rather quietly, not entirely sure why you were talking that way.
Lady Suzan very carefully passed it over to Lord Ata. He looked it over with equal parts curiosity and reverence.
"Lord Rakan was given only one title by his grandfather: the Torrent. If my guess is right, then this was a focus to allow him to better utilize said abilities," said Lord Ata.
"I'm surprised Jameel didn't use it then," said Master Saleh.
"How could he? To use this would require negotiating with the jinn lying within,"
"They're not bound?"
"A man such as the Torrent despised chains of all kinds. He never bound any jinn to his service," said Lord Ata, possibly on the verge of whispering prayers.
(Regular Loot Rolls: 61, 12, 51, 70)
The rest of the work was not as interesting. Jameel's wealth was spread throughout a variety of rather mundane forms and traditional investments magicians made. He had nearly twenty thousand rials in silver. Four bolts of silk you discovered were given as gifts by a merchant friend. Documents declaring him owner of fifty percent share in two minor trade companies, amounting to an annual income of 200 rials per year. A massive collection of golden plates, utensils, goblets, and cookery. This had gotten a revival as a popular form of gift ten years ago. Mama had received dozens, but Jameel seemed to have an entire room full of gold cookware.
"Were these gifts or..." you asked your master.
"Not uncommon but could also be payments. Rather gaudy form of payment. Any guesses to how much this all values to, Naila?" he asked.
You had no clue. How you spent money was to go to a shop, get what you needed, and then simply give them your name. Mama would receive a notice for the cost and then pay it. The few things you understood were the cost of medical supplies and none of this fit that category except save as funds.
"5,000 rials?" you guessed. That seemed reasonable.
"Well...that was a choice," he said, walking away from you. You stood there confused.
(Library Roll: 15, 35, 19, 63, 90)
The library was where you did most of the work. You found it split into five segments. A rather subpar philosophy section that seemed to mostly focus on the works of a rather obscure philosopher named the Lady of Good Health. You had never heard of her, and from your brief look-through, she seemed rather obsessed with the nature of pain. An average collection of poetry, mostly various translations of The Conquest of the Birds, a rather old story from the mid-3200's by an unnamed author. He was not a particularly great poet. An atrocious collection of Classical literature given how terrible the translation was. His history archive was actually worth something. Multiple different commentaries about the Uniter's campaign, the Invasions, the histories of various cities and the establishment of different sultanates and the biographies of numerous caliphs. You parsed through them, marveling at the quality of the tomes.
That quailed compared to his section of magic. Books, scrolls, and even tablets of arcane lore collected over Jameel's life. Each touching an aspect of magic and every related field. Master Saleh let out a whistle of appreciation as he flipped through a volume of essays written by Nadim ibn Inas, the second head of the Artisans.
"I dreamt of owning a copy of his writings, but the backlog is in the decades. It makes no sense that a Rainmaker has a copy of something literally chapter heads of the order fight over to obtain," he said as he looked over the book.
"I'm confused as to why. Wouldn't something by Afraz be more appealing?" you said, thinking out loud. It seemed odd not to have anything by the storied heroes of his order.
"Wasn't much for writing from what history tells us and the little he did write is kept under lock and key. You're not even allowed to copy any of it. You can only read them while being watched by a small army of archivists,"
"How did he get the relic then?"
Master Saleh shrugged, "We lost so many treasures over the years. The Old Kings took some, Jaffar took some, the Invaders took some, and our own even lost some. On and on till the greatest works of our order still in held by the Wise numbers in the single digits. Hopefully, you won't lose this one. I'd hate to have to pretend you aren't my apprentice,"
"Do you think I'll actually be allowed to keep it? Lady Suzan won't just take it from me?"
"If she does, we'll have words. You did the hard work. You..." he gave your left side a quick look, "suffered for it. That relic and everything you decide to keep is a poor payment, but it'll be payment nonetheless."
Ibrahim, the tallest of the war-magicians, and his ardi partner Faruq who took the form of a man made of ever-falling sand acted as the grounding element. Tahira and her sleepy monkey? jinni and Hasan and his preening eagle jinni who seemed to enjoy letting out a piercing shriek every ten minutes. These two took over dispelling.
The Twins stood on your shoulders, having flown over from wherever they had been. You were about to ask why they decided to return but given the possibly unnatural scowls they were giving Hasan's eagle jinni, you realized it was the oldest reason in the book. Jinn, across almost every tribe, clan, dynasty, and lineage, were a jealous people. They despised sharing anything they deemed theirs. It was long assumed part of the reason why they had gotten along so poorly with the divine. A jinni would regard a village as theirs and immediately threaten violence if any shrine to anyone else was built. Part of you still felt a sense of joy at having been claimed in such a way, but the part had long been outweighed by their clawed feet piercing your skin.
Hasan's eagle jinni met their stare and stared rising up, but Hasan's hand squashed them. He threw you an apologetic smile.
"Should've tried it. We would have stripped him of all his feathers," said Kabir.
"Don't pick fights, Kabir. Please for the love of all that is good, especially don't pick a fight with the people on our side," you said.
"It won't be us that picks the fight, Naila, but it will be us that finishes it," said Sagheer. These fat pseudo-parkeets will be the death of you.
His laboratory was covered in magical inscriptions. They served to defuse and disperse excessive magical energies, control summoned entities, and ensure the efficient flow of power. He had enough beakers, vials, and burners to rival Mama's research lab in the hospital. The meticulous and sheer cleanliness of the room made clear the man who used it was a man focused on things in their proper place for their proper use. It was the place he felt the most comfortable as the worn-out paint of some equipment showed where a hand had touched it repeatedly. Yet, even in this place of strict order, you found the signs of failure and the fallibility of its occupant. Marks of fire-damage that refused to come out. Marks of chemical damage that refused to vanish. The duality of man if you were a more pretentious sort of person, but Mama's presence stood near, so you shook your head. All of it could be and probably was just you reading into soot-stains.
You have the right of first refusal and the first six things you choose are yours. You can also select people to whom you can give something to, example: [X] Item One
Lord Ata offered you the following deal. Grant him the Drum and the wyrdstone and he would give you everything else and even offer to purchase anything you don't want at twice its value and a boon you can redeem at any time. +5 to standing with Lord Ata.
[] Accept
[] Refuse
[] Counteroffer
"I must agree with Lady Suzan, Lord Ata," you said in a steady voice, displaying none of the fear or worry you felt. You were not Mama or Lala or Kama. Mama could pay the commander-in-chief of the Sultan's forces, no mind. Lala smiled when arrogant princelings dared her. Kama could whisper words and send everyone fleeing. You were not incapable. You just did not have the same aptitude as they did. Sometimes you worry you have too much Baba in you. Too much of a brilliant, but obtuse man unconcerned with anything not related to medicine or his family or his horses or his miniatures or his Goddess.
Account for yourself when the time is right. Not when you stand before the powers of the land.
Oh, yeah. Lord Ata did not scowl or frown. He simply nodded. Rather easily acceptance...given his reaction beforehand.
"Now let us..." Lady Suzan stopped, "Saleh, did you read Lady Naila in?"
"No. Nothing came up that required it, but I vouch for her. The worst of her nature is her piety, but I doubt she'd betray our secrets," said Master Saleh. Wait, what secrets?
(Are you read in, DC ??: ??+?? (Her Brother's Trust)+?? (Recent Events)-?? (Paranoia)-?? (Antitheism)=75)
"Lady Naila, you have proven your dedication and loyalty to our order but allow me to make this clear. If you should share this information with anyone without approval from Sala or myself, the price will be the traditional wage for treachery. Do you understand this?" Lady Suzan said, her voice making clear that this was a yes or no question and you should definitely answer yes.
"Yes, my lady," you said, having no desire to be fed the Sovereigns of the World during the annual meeting of the caliphs.
"As you know Jaffar's fall gave his opponents in the order the opportunity to do what was necessary to save the legacy of the Uniter. Our brave forefathers and mothers blotted out Jaffar's stain with the blood of his supporters. From the most respected caliph to the meekest apprentice, the Party of Jaffar was exterminated," she said, repeating a history you knew. You had read the accounts of each major act of cleansing. The words of Samir al-Marteki as he fed a hundred followers of Jaffar to Hiran, his Marid partner before a crowd of thousands. The Black Lady personally torturing Lucia the Estalian before the people of al-Haikk, only granting her death when she recounted her allegiance. The Battle of the Heroes where the Yellow House was set ablaze and five hundred people died. Your order's failings wiped away in a sea of blood.
"Yet, for all their diligent efforts, some escaped," said Lady Suzan.
"But how?" you asked. From all the records, it had been a very detailed operation. Anyone with any connection was cleansed. Thousands upon thousands of people, all interrogated and investigated and consigned to the House of the Most Watchful.
"Never discount human failure, Naila. Be it virtue, vice, or something in-between, some were allowed to flee," said Master Saleh.
"So, you suspect Jameel was a secret follower of Jaffar?"
"We suspect all magickers. It has been a standing policy of the order to investigate all magickers as possible followers of Jaffar," said Lord Ata.
"I saw no signs of it. Jameel's methods were well within the norm save the absence of an jinn. That was odd," said Master Saleh.
"Jameel had a fear of jinn. His first master perished during a failed binding. It left him terrified of being around them," said Lord Ata. The cobra scoffed at that. Something you were not sure actual snakes could do.
"How did he become a pir?" Lady Suzan asked.
"Man had a masterful skill at direct channeling," said Master Saleh.
"Jameel had his flaws, but lack of ability was not one of them,"
Lady Suzan gave them both flat looks.
"None of us at this table received our rank purely from ability. We received them for a variety of reasons unrelated to that. So, tell me, Ata. How did Jameel make connections among his fellow magicians to have his name recommended for the rank?" Lady Suzan said each part with such slowness as if she were talking to a particularly slow pair of children.
"I... that is a good question. Gods, I confirmed his rank, but the nomination process is largely done by the Council of Elders. I'll have to review the paperwork to see which pir recommended him," said Lord Ata, tapping his finger.
"Did either of you notice anything else that was suspicious?"
"Naila, notice anything about the ritual?"
"He was using death magic, but the only other aspect I noticed was the cultic images. He used the images of a dog, a fly, a snake, and a...
"Raven," said Lady Suzan.
"Yes,"
"Wonderful, we're dealing with cultists," muttered Ata.
"Jameel was into mystery cults?" Master Saleh asked. That would have been a surprise. Mystery cults were an old hat for someone raised in
Haikki high society. Your brother was a member of one and your sister was a member of another. Your brother was a member of a sub-order of the Cult of the Most Merciful, focused on the mystical experience of Her glory and grace. In truth, it was just a collection of middle-aged adults who met every week, wore fancy outfits, and acted out some portion of the Goddess' legends while the air was thick with a minor hallucinogenic. Your sister belonged to the Cult of the Ancestors as was her place as Mama's oldest daughter. There were more exotic versions, but you saw them as excuses for noble sons and daughters to have orgies and drink odd mixtures that let you see sounds and hear colors without shame.
Magicians, however, were not fond of mystery cults. They were barely fond of cults in general. It would have been surprising to hear one being a member and it not become news among the powerful.
"Every once in a while, there's a cult pops up in Dervish or Assassin country who starts acting odd and most times, the local powers will clean up the mess. However, rarely does a cult get far too powerful and far too dangerous, far too quickly. They send word to the Cult who passes to one of the caliphs who sends a cadre of war-magicians to fix the problem. Everytime though, we've noticed a series of symbols repeating. Numerical variations of six, seven, eight, and nine. A variety of colors and relevant to Lady Naila's point; a dog, a snake, a raven, and a fly," said Lady Suzan.
"My Lady...are you saying these animal cults have some relationship with the Party of Jaffar,"
"The official term is Cults of Strife, but legend holds during Jaffar's final battle with the Invaders, he brought forth a spirit unlike any the order had record of. A raven-headed giant who seemed to wield magic with a skill beyond any Djinn,"
The cobra on Lord Ata's keffiyeh began to hiss.
"Unless you have something to share, oh Lord of Flames. I would request no interruptions,"
The cobra possibly glared but quieted down. Lord Ata gave Lady Suzan a look, but she simply ignored it.
"Since that time, we have not found any further evidence of such a creature's existence, but the image of certain idols found seem to hold some connection,"
"Wonderful. One thing to deal with revanchists. Another thing to deal with religious lunatics who are also revanchists," muttered Master Saleh.
---
The meeting ended soon afterwards. Lord Ata, Master Saleh, and Lady Suzan went to the treasury room. You were sent to collect both caliphs' retinues. The treasury room was guarded by a large iron door, reinforced with Jameel's apparently masterwork protections. However, Lord Ata and Lady Suzan drew on the power of their partners. The cobra on Lord Ata's keffeyeh shone a brilliant red while Lady Suzan's eyes became white.
Fire, hotter than any you had seen channeled before, burned away Jameel's protections. Lord Ata pulled out his axe and with a single cut, sliced open the door. You had so much more to go in the mastery of your art and profession.
What you found was...
(How Much Special Loot: 1)
(Rarity of Loot: 6)
A rather empty room. You expected chests of magical items. Maybe magical reagents or enchanted items. Not bare floors with only a single chest in the center. You checked over the room with your second sight. There were no further protections, but the chest was leaking out Air. A lot of Air.
Lady Suzan stepped forward, knelt and opened the chest. She rose, holding a drum. It was made of wood and animal skin. The hieroglyphics on it glowed gray and blue. Looking upon it showed not just one or two, but six jinn bound to it. All of them were actual fully-fledged wind spirits and not lesser jinn either.
"By the Lords of the World," said Lady Suzan, walking over to show a maker's mark on the bottom of the drum. R.E.A. Only one person had that maker's mark. Rakan, the fourth Storm of the State and grandson of Aziz, the first Artisan, founder of their order, and third student of the Uniter. This was a relic of your order and a fucking magicker had it.
"What does it do?" you asked, speaking rather quietly, not entirely sure why you were talking that way.
Lady Suzan very carefully passed it over to Lord Ata. He looked it over with equal parts curiosity and reverence.
"Lord Rakan was given only one title by his grandfather: the Torrent. If my guess is right, then this was a focus to allow him to better utilize said abilities," said Lord Ata.
"I'm surprised Jameel didn't use it then," said Master Saleh.
"How could he? To use this would require negotiating with the jinn lying within,"
"They're not bound?"
"A man such as the Torrent despised chains of all kinds. He never bound any jinn to his service," said Lord Ata, possibly on the verge of whispering prayers.
(Regular Loot Rolls: 61, 12, 51, 70)
The rest of the work was not as interesting. Jameel's wealth was spread throughout a variety of rather mundane forms and traditional investments magicians made. He had nearly twenty thousand rials in silver. Four bolts of silk you discovered were given as gifts by a merchant friend. Documents declaring him owner of fifty percent share in two minor trade companies, amounting to an annual income of 200 rials per year. A massive collection of golden plates, utensils, goblets, and cookery. This had gotten a revival as a popular form of gift ten years ago. Mama had received dozens, but Jameel seemed to have an entire room full of gold cookware.
"Were these gifts or..." you asked your master.
"Not uncommon but could also be payments. Rather gaudy form of payment. Any guesses to how much this all values to, Naila?" he asked.
You had no clue. How you spent money was to go to a shop, get what you needed, and then simply give them your name. Mama would receive a notice for the cost and then pay it. The few things you understood were the cost of medical supplies and none of this fit that category except save as funds.
"5,000 rials?" you guessed. That seemed reasonable.
"Well...that was a choice," he said, walking away from you. You stood there confused.
(Library Roll: 15, 35, 19, 63, 90)
The library was where you did most of the work. You found it split into five segments. A rather subpar philosophy section that seemed to mostly focus on the works of a rather obscure philosopher named the Lady of Good Health. You had never heard of her, and from your brief look-through, she seemed rather obsessed with the nature of pain. An average collection of poetry, mostly various translations of The Conquest of the Birds, a rather old story from the mid-3200's by an unnamed author. He was not a particularly great poet. An atrocious collection of Classical literature given how terrible the translation was. His history archive was actually worth something. Multiple different commentaries about the Uniter's campaign, the Invasions, the histories of various cities and the establishment of different sultanates and the biographies of numerous caliphs. You parsed through them, marveling at the quality of the tomes.
That quailed compared to his section of magic. Books, scrolls, and even tablets of arcane lore collected over Jameel's life. Each touching an aspect of magic and every related field. Master Saleh let out a whistle of appreciation as he flipped through a volume of essays written by Nadim ibn Inas, the second head of the Artisans.
"I dreamt of owning a copy of his writings, but the backlog is in the decades. It makes no sense that a Rainmaker has a copy of something literally chapter heads of the order fight over to obtain," he said as he looked over the book.
"I'm confused as to why. Wouldn't something by Afraz be more appealing?" you said, thinking out loud. It seemed odd not to have anything by the storied heroes of his order.
"Wasn't much for writing from what history tells us and the little he did write is kept under lock and key. You're not even allowed to copy any of it. You can only read them while being watched by a small army of archivists,"
"How did he get the relic then?"
Master Saleh shrugged, "We lost so many treasures over the years. The Old Kings took some, Jaffar took some, the Invaders took some, and our own even lost some. On and on till the greatest works of our order still in held by the Wise numbers in the single digits. Hopefully, you won't lose this one. I'd hate to have to pretend you aren't my apprentice,"
"Do you think I'll actually be allowed to keep it? Lady Suzan won't just take it from me?"
"If she does, we'll have words. You did the hard work. You..." he gave your left side a quick look, "suffered for it. That relic and everything you decide to keep is a poor payment, but it'll be payment nonetheless."
---
The wyrdstone used to fuel the ritual was in the basement. They were kept in three chests defended in the same way as the one you found in the temple. You did not have to do the opening as the war-magicians handled it.Ibrahim, the tallest of the war-magicians, and his ardi partner Faruq who took the form of a man made of ever-falling sand acted as the grounding element. Tahira and her sleepy monkey? jinni and Hasan and his preening eagle jinni who seemed to enjoy letting out a piercing shriek every ten minutes. These two took over dispelling.
The Twins stood on your shoulders, having flown over from wherever they had been. You were about to ask why they decided to return but given the possibly unnatural scowls they were giving Hasan's eagle jinni, you realized it was the oldest reason in the book. Jinn, across almost every tribe, clan, dynasty, and lineage, were a jealous people. They despised sharing anything they deemed theirs. It was long assumed part of the reason why they had gotten along so poorly with the divine. A jinni would regard a village as theirs and immediately threaten violence if any shrine to anyone else was built. Part of you still felt a sense of joy at having been claimed in such a way, but the part had long been outweighed by their clawed feet piercing your skin.
Hasan's eagle jinni met their stare and stared rising up, but Hasan's hand squashed them. He threw you an apologetic smile.
"Should've tried it. We would have stripped him of all his feathers," said Kabir.
"Don't pick fights, Kabir. Please for the love of all that is good, especially don't pick a fight with the people on our side," you said.
"It won't be us that picks the fight, Naila, but it will be us that finishes it," said Sagheer. These fat pseudo-parkeets will be the death of you.
---
Through the tedious work of going through the entire tower, you inventoried furniture, clothing, non-gold cookware and glassware. Literally everything in the tower was tallied and brought together. He was rather lackluster in his specific aesthetics. His furniture was well-made but seemed empty. It was meant to be seen, but not actually used. His tapestries were shone, but they had no great stories. They were landscapes. It might have been Jameel had strong feelings for the areas represented, but you doubted that. All of it was at odds with the artistry you grew up around. You lived in a home painted and covered with scenes from your history, your faith, and in some places their dreams. The bed you slept in had scenes from the Exodus carved into the headboard. Your blankets were covered in open palms. Yet, you could not feel the same with Jameel's property, except in one place.His laboratory was covered in magical inscriptions. They served to defuse and disperse excessive magical energies, control summoned entities, and ensure the efficient flow of power. He had enough beakers, vials, and burners to rival Mama's research lab in the hospital. The meticulous and sheer cleanliness of the room made clear the man who used it was a man focused on things in their proper place for their proper use. It was the place he felt the most comfortable as the worn-out paint of some equipment showed where a hand had touched it repeatedly. Yet, even in this place of strict order, you found the signs of failure and the fallibility of its occupant. Marks of fire-damage that refused to come out. Marks of chemical damage that refused to vanish. The duality of man if you were a more pretentious sort of person, but Mama's presence stood near, so you shook your head. All of it could be and probably was just you reading into soot-stains.
---
The total collection of goods breaks down to the following:[] Rakan's Drum: A hand drum containing six jinn made by Rakan ibn Afraz. Capabilities unknown, suspected to improve controlling storms. How to use: unknown, suspected to require negotiations with the six jinn. Value: Near priceless. This is like getting the 1st copy of the original Vulgate Bible.
[] 20,000 rials in silver.
[] Four bolts of silk, evaluated to be worth 150 rials total.
[] Certificates of Ownership for 50% stake in the Northern Marigliano Trade Company and Gobi-Remas Trade Company, annual income of 200 rials per year.
[] A room of gold cookware, evaluated to be worth 10,000 rials.
[] Three large chests of wyrdstone, evaluated to be worth 15,000 rials total.
[] A substantial history collection grants +2 to Lore: Araby rolls.
[] An incredibly impressive arcane lore collection grants +5 to Lore: Magic rolls.
[] A collection of editions of The Conquest of Birds, a semi-famous epic poem from the mid-3200's grants +1 to Lore: Arabyan Poetry
[] A miscellaneous collection of furniture, tapestries, clothing, and other random stuff, evaluated to be worth 500 rials.
[] A laboratory's worth of magical equipment, valued to be 2,500 rials.
[] 20,000 rials in silver.
[] Four bolts of silk, evaluated to be worth 150 rials total.
[] Certificates of Ownership for 50% stake in the Northern Marigliano Trade Company and Gobi-Remas Trade Company, annual income of 200 rials per year.
[] A room of gold cookware, evaluated to be worth 10,000 rials.
[] Three large chests of wyrdstone, evaluated to be worth 15,000 rials total.
[] A substantial history collection grants +2 to Lore: Araby rolls.
[] An incredibly impressive arcane lore collection grants +5 to Lore: Magic rolls.
[] A collection of editions of The Conquest of Birds, a semi-famous epic poem from the mid-3200's grants +1 to Lore: Arabyan Poetry
[] A miscellaneous collection of furniture, tapestries, clothing, and other random stuff, evaluated to be worth 500 rials.
[] A laboratory's worth of magical equipment, valued to be 2,500 rials.
[X] Give to the crew of the Beloved.
Lord Ata offered you the following deal. Grant him the Drum and the wyrdstone and he would give you everything else and even offer to purchase anything you don't want at twice its value and a boon you can redeem at any time. +5 to standing with Lord Ata.
[] Accept
[] Refuse
[] Counteroffer
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- Location
- My happy place
How in the world could they not know about the fucking Ruinous Powers? It made sense the new girl might not know, but do they not talk with anybody else in the world?
Distance from the polities most affected by Chaos, geographical security given their distance from the polar gates, political hostilities from the crusades, a sense of arrogance as well as different perspectives about magic and Sevirric and Aetheric entities and of course, lack of experience are among the factors which hinder their understanding of Chaos.
Also, who would they talk to? There's no College of Wizards at this point. Magicians are naturally dismissive of cults as a source of information. The Empire is three, possibly four different claimants for the throne. Bretonnia is focused on repairing the damages. Norscans will raid, but they also sell slaves at Arabyan markets. Estalia made it illegal for Arabyans to step foot in their country and are also in the midst of war. Tileans are fine trading partners, but you can't completely trust them. They think the Ungols mean the Gospodar cause that's who they curse with every other breath. Cathay?
Also, who would they talk to? There's no College of Wizards at this point. Magicians are naturally dismissive of cults as a source of information. The Empire is three, possibly four different claimants for the throne. Bretonnia is focused on repairing the damages. Norscans will raid, but they also sell slaves at Arabyan markets. Estalia made it illegal for Arabyans to step foot in their country and are also in the midst of war. Tileans are fine trading partners, but you can't completely trust them. They think the Ungols mean the Gospodar cause that's who they curse with every other breath. Cathay?
@Whynot09 If we accept Lord Ata's offer, how many reputation points will it bring us?
Can we offer such a contract? We abandon Drum and the wyrdstone, and in return it helps us find information about methods or at least a tip to them that could heal or replace our hand?
Isn't that an appropriate request? I mean, he probably should have access to libraries and acquaintances that will be open for a very long time, if ever.
Can we offer such a contract? We abandon Drum and the wyrdstone, and in return it helps us find information about methods or at least a tip to them that could heal or replace our hand?
Isn't that an appropriate request? I mean, he probably should have access to libraries and acquaintances that will be open for a very long time, if ever.
Master Saleh, even if he refused his share, he played a major role in all this and deserves it at least in the form of a gift from us for a significant amount. Perhaps we can give him some valuable ingredients for magical alchemy, he seems to be interested in it, judging by that magic fire.
I think we can also make a donation to the temple of the goddess without her, a couple of critical rolls would have been a failure.
Reputation added.
Yeah the request is fine. You make a counteroffer or use the boon for that purpose.
[X] Plan: Generosity is the gift of a winner.
-[X] 20,000 rials in silver.
-[X] Certificates of Ownership for 50% stake in the Northern Marigliano Trade Company and Gobi-Remas Trade Company, annual income of 200 rials per year.
--[X] Give it to the church of the goddess
-[X] A room of gold cookware, evaluated to be worth 10,000 rials.
-[X] An incredibly impressive arcane lore collection grants +5 to Lore: Magic rolls.
--[X] Give to Master Saleh.
-[X] A miscellaneous collection of furniture, tapestries, clothing, and other random stuff, evaluated to be worth 500 rials.
--[X] Give to the crew of the Beloved.
-[X] A laboratory's worth of magical equipment, valued to be 2,500 rials.
Master Saleh wanted books from this magical collection for himself, and frankly, he deserved a lot more, the Beloved team helped us too, and I think 500 rials is a well-deserved price. And finally, a gift for the goddess is not very valuable to us because we do not play long-term games, but for her church, an increase in permanent income is more valuable than a one-time donation. Especially considering that they are engaged in charitable activities.
[X] Counteroffer
-[X] In return, ask him to help find all the available information about the methods by which you can return your hand or get a decent replacement for it.
@Whynot09 Do I remember correctly that we, our master, and the Beloved crew participated in the expedition? There was no one else of significance?
-[X] 20,000 rials in silver.
-[X] Certificates of Ownership for 50% stake in the Northern Marigliano Trade Company and Gobi-Remas Trade Company, annual income of 200 rials per year.
--[X] Give it to the church of the goddess
-[X] A room of gold cookware, evaluated to be worth 10,000 rials.
-[X] An incredibly impressive arcane lore collection grants +5 to Lore: Magic rolls.
--[X] Give to Master Saleh.
-[X] A miscellaneous collection of furniture, tapestries, clothing, and other random stuff, evaluated to be worth 500 rials.
--[X] Give to the crew of the Beloved.
-[X] A laboratory's worth of magical equipment, valued to be 2,500 rials.
Master Saleh wanted books from this magical collection for himself, and frankly, he deserved a lot more, the Beloved team helped us too, and I think 500 rials is a well-deserved price. And finally, a gift for the goddess is not very valuable to us because we do not play long-term games, but for her church, an increase in permanent income is more valuable than a one-time donation. Especially considering that they are engaged in charitable activities.
[X] Counteroffer
-[X] In return, ask him to help find all the available information about the methods by which you can return your hand or get a decent replacement for it.
@Whynot09 Do I remember correctly that we, our master, and the Beloved crew participated in the expedition? There was no one else of significance?
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[X]Plan: Gifts, bonuses and gold
-[X] A substantial history collection grants +2 to Lore: Araby rolls.
-[X] An incredibly impressive arcane lore collection grants +5 to Lore: Magic rolls.
-[X] Give to the Master Saleh.
-[X] A collection of editions of The Conquest of Birds, a semi-famous epic poem from the mid-3200's grants +1 to Lore: Arabyan Poetry
-[X] Certificates of Ownership for 50% stake in the Northern Marigliano Trade Company and Gobi-Remas Trade Company, annual income of 200 rials per year.
-[X] Give to the church of the goddess
-[X] A miscellaneous collection of furniture, tapestries, clothing, and other random stuff, evaluated to be worth 500 rials.
-[X] Give to the crew of the Beloved.
-[X] 20,000 rials in silver.
-[X] A substantial history collection grants +2 to Lore: Araby rolls.
-[X] An incredibly impressive arcane lore collection grants +5 to Lore: Magic rolls.
-[X] Give to the Master Saleh.
-[X] A collection of editions of The Conquest of Birds, a semi-famous epic poem from the mid-3200's grants +1 to Lore: Arabyan Poetry
-[X] Certificates of Ownership for 50% stake in the Northern Marigliano Trade Company and Gobi-Remas Trade Company, annual income of 200 rials per year.
-[X] Give to the church of the goddess
-[X] A miscellaneous collection of furniture, tapestries, clothing, and other random stuff, evaluated to be worth 500 rials.
-[X] Give to the crew of the Beloved.
-[X] 20,000 rials in silver.
Vote closed
