Arabian Adventure

Summary

Adventure: Arabian Adventure
GM: Alastair
Season: Winter 796 WK

Party

Sabbath, Orc/M, Fire mage, front-line fighter, ranger, irresponsible, unreliable, predictable (his only saving grace as a guild member), played by Ollie.
Stein, Dwarf/M, Druidic Earth mage, ranger, second-line fighter, played, by Ian.
Keshah, Military Scientist, Elf/M, Rune mage, many skills., played by Michael.
Turf, Elf/M, Namer, warrior, ranger, healer, goody-two-shoes, played by Terry.
Shoka, Orc/M, not a mage, lots of skills, ugly as sin, very Orcish Orc, played by Jon.
Ithilmor, Elf/M, Dark Celestial, healer, courtesan, troubadour, played by Claire.
Darksinger, Party Leader, Scribe, Human/M, Necromancer, troubadour, philosopher, played by Craig.

Time on adventure: 31 Sep 95 AP to 11 Jan 96 AP
Employer: Giderion
Mission: We were hired by Giderion, an ex-guild member. He wanted a magic carpet, and hired us to get one for him.
Out-of-character notes: The setting is taken from A Horse And His Boy (I think that’s the title) by C. S. Lewis.
Original Scribe Notes: Media:Snwi9603.zip

Scribe Notes

We were hired by Giderion, an ex-guild member. He wanted a magic carpet, and hired us to get one for him.

He traded with the inhabitants of a plane called Var. He thought that magic carpets were reasonably common there, to the north of a place called the Landsraad, a collection of small kingdoms, or something (he said he didn’t get involved in politics, so he didn’t know the details).

He sent us there to get his carpet.

He arranged with Captain Berolithian, a representative of the Landsraad to escort us, in return we were to provide copies of our notes, especially tactical information, to the Landsraad.

So, the details of the mission were:

Obtain one magic carpet, for which Giderion will pay us guild valuation plus twenty percent. He gave us a 6000 sp advance.
(Optional) Obtain information on the care and maintenance of said magic carpet.
Provide copies of scribe notes to Landsraad. Giderion explained that there were certain “effects” regarding magic

and time associated with Var. See the section The Plane of Var for details.

The Background

Once we were away from Giderion, Turf gave us more information. He had been to Var before, twice, both on guild missions. The first time, Murthak was turned into a frog by a member of a vicious coven of witches.

The second time, thirty years later by Var time, the whole party was hunted down when it became knowledge that they were from the Guild.

Shoka has a 30k gem. If he can get this to a Silver Dragon who is the head of the College of Mind magic in Skyaira then the dragon can raise Murthak. The dragon has Murthak’s dead (frog) body.

Daily Record

31 Sep 95 AP

Met at Giderion’s place for dinner. Met Captain Berolithian. We questioned him, and gained the following information.

Brittien is a kingdom that is a member of the Landsraad. It is religiously intolerant and very orthodox and strict. Clothing for peasants is brown, for all others is black and white, We will be travelling to Fort Chatellerant, in Rhania, a kingdom in the far north of the Landsraad, which borders Calormene, a desert kingdom. We will travel east to Azimbuldur, then north to Tashban. Regarding race, there are many Elf, Dwarf, and Orc kingdoms in the Landsraad. Orcs are killed on sight, in the Fourth Reich, to the south east. All non-humans are killed on sight in Calormene.

All of us, except for Darksinger, would have to be in disguise.

4 Oct

Met at Giderion’s office, and went to Var via a tree-trunk sized rune stick.

On the other side was a large room staffed with bureaucrats and guards. The bureaucrats issued us id papers which we were instructed not to lose.

This was in the town of Math.

We visited the Magic College, an institution of study, with mostly male scholars, and very puritanical views on clothing. Vice Chancellor Zool explained the differences in mana.

We travelled through a network of rune portals (sold to the Landsraad by Giderion) to Anzar, a town in a huge range of mountains.

Straddling a pass is a great city on a bridge, Skyaira. The toll to enter and leave Skyaira is 1,000 sp. It is a very tidy, well- laid out city, ornate and somewhat lawful.

Four of us (myself, Turf, Shoka, and Yindak) entered the city, and went to the College of Mind Magic. The silver dragon who was the head of the college welcomed us, took the gem, and told us to come back the next day.

5 Oct

We returned, to find Murthak restored. Sort-of. His old body, the frog, was still there. His new body was clockwork. And it required winding each day!

We left town (expensive, I trust Murthak will recompense us?), travelled to Anzor.

On the way back, an ugly old crone “attached” herself to our party, then stole some items and flew off at a speed that indicated she was a very powerful witch. Beware old crones with a knack for predictions! Sabbath got in trouble. His punishment was lashing, a fine, and fettering with cold iron manacles when inside the Landsraad. How has he lived this long?

We commissioned some alchemist items.

8 Oct

Sabbath’s lashing. A copy of scribe notes up to here, written in Elvish by Turf, were given to Murthak to take to the guild. He left us here, travelling south through the rune portals.

11 Oct

The alchemist items were finished.

12 Oct

We left, travelling north through the rune portal network, to Rabbaras. In Rabbaras we came into a minor war. A djinn was assaulting Fort Chatellerant. The general Lao Tsu welcomed our help.

Frankly we weren’t much help, the djinn was immensely powerful. We did not defeat it, merely chased it off. Before it left it gave a message to the effect that Takan Bashir, a powerful Calormene Lord, knew we were coming.

We applied a dark stain to our skin, that only comes off with the application of soot and cold ashes. It will somewhat disguise us. We learned of Calormene religion and government. We spent a week learning the language.

15 Oct

Sabbath has a dream, in which Azaroth tries to get Sabbath to fight him.

16 Oct

Sabbath has a dream where Azaroth tells him that he wants Brother Rowan, Garibaldi, Phillipe and Braegon. Sabbath’s aura shows no difference, it does not appear that he has been possessed.

17 Oct

Sabbath gets in trouble. He is ordered to be chained with cold iron at night.

18 Oct

The dervish escapes and runs off a cliff. As he falls he screams, “damn you Azaroth, I wish to be free”. As this happens, Shoka sees gigantic eyes in the clouds. I direct your notice to the prophecy that says “don’t wish”…

Attempting to contact the spirit of the dervish failed. The soul was not available.

22 Oct

We leave for Azimbildr, a town to the east, with “borrowed” merchants’ gear ( wagons, trade goods, camels).

27 Oct

During an attack by giant scorpions (I wonder who sent them), Darksinger and Ithilmor backfire. As a consequence, Ithilmor possessed Darksinger’s body and someone claiming to be a takeena possesses Ithilmor’s body. The takeena said she “wished” for something interesting to happen. The party tied her up and drugged her.

Though the party did not know it, I possessed a takeena’s body. This caused many hassles, not the least of which her family tried to burn me alive for being a demon. I was rescued by a gallant young man by the name of Akeel and his two friends Bashanti and Ashram. Akeel did not believe my story at first, until I cast magic, Then he agreed to aid me, for the chance at the hand of the takeena, once she was in her own body.

31 Oct

Arrive in town of Aldenari, a walled city with a small toll to enter. This is a haphazard, badly laid-out, messy, dirty town.

Akeel makes contact with Shoka, and then meets with the rest of the party, spending a lot of Shoka’s money in the process. Sabbath gets in trouble.

Bashanti attempts to betray us to the local militia. We kill him. We buy a dancing sword for 60 sp. It starts dancing at a command word, but there is no way to turn it off… A bargain at half the price.

3 Nov

We all return to our correct bodies.

Akeel and the takeena (did she have a name?) head east. We head north, with a letter of introduction from Akeel to Zureya, a merchant in Azimbildur.

After a battle where several horrible backfires happen, we head west instead, back to Fort Chatellerant.

They weren’t happy to see us, especially as we had little information for them. We ignored them.

Over the next couple of days we removed cursed, investigated the sword, and discussed magic with visiting mages.

6 Nov

We leave, east, then north, via Keisha’s rune portals. Sabbath sets Shoka’s robes in fire so he “doesn’t kill Shoka by mistake.”

In the middle of the desert, we came across a building. The sand around it was magical, nature of magic is air conditioning. In the building is cool and dry. It was two stories, with a central garden. In the garden were goats, chickens and a pool. The pool was magical. After hearing it was magical, Sabbath jumped in the pool. It promptly trapped him and started to drown him. We reluctantly asked the hermit to free Sabbath and he did so.

A man, 5?6?, human-elf cross, chubby, in his late fifties, greeted us. He called himself the Last Hermit of the Western Desert, and told us his story.

He had lived here for many, many years. He told us more of Azaroth, specifically how he has to grant wishes made in rhyme, but punish wishes otherwise. Azaroth is afraid of Tash.

The hermits pool has the ability to listen anywhere in the world (it was a sentient, animated waters of hearing). We listed to Takan Bashir. He was taking to the Vizier about the price of slaves. The hermit had heard of flying carpets, and knew where he could find one for us. In return, we had to find out what happened to his older brother.

The hermit knew very intimate details about all of us. We surmised he had a very good detect aura talent, or similar. We detect aura on the house, and find that it is on another plane, one called Sambubu. The hermit told us that the house moved around Calormene a lot.

Sabbath gets a pet chicken. He tries to cantrip it so that it has a mohawk, but backfired, and was instead geased never to harm the chicken. Poetic justice.

We agree to investigate the eldest brother. The hermit agreed to also find information on Bashir.

7 Nov.

Full moon. At midnight, roped together, we waited in the desert where the hermit indicated. A giant eagle came down and picked us up. It flew a long way, and just at dawn, deposited us on a ledge in some tall mountains. In front of us was a round palace. Detect Undead showed in excess of 90 greater undead in the palace. Worried, we prepared and entered. Inside were 10 humans, 30 elves, 20 orcs, 10 dwarves, 10 half-eves, and 10 chickens. I/e/ 10 for each of us. They offered us food, manicures, massages, whatever we desired. There was also one half-elf, called Miseur.

The centre of the palace was sumptuously decorated and furnished, and there were 100 doors leading off.

Miseur said he had been there for over eighty years, and yes he was the eldest brother of the merchant. He told us that at night the spirits appeared and served his every need, during the day they disappeared and he explored the palace, which was called Castle Amoeba, except the hundredth door. I direct your attention to prophecy V.

Each room was a small dimension. For example one was a grassy stream, one was a cave, one was a sunny meadow. One was the Library of All Knowledge, where all spells were stored. We found a instruction manual for magic carpets in there, and copied it. We would have stolen it, except you could not take books or scrolls from the room.

We also copied many spells not taught at the guild, onto all the spare paper we had.

(Note, here the scribe notes become messy, because I missed some sessions, and Darksinger was absent. and the notes made by other players and/or characters were a little, shall we say, sketchy.) Party stayed there two lunar months, learning and copying spells. A scroll in the library explained that this was the plane of Arabian Nights, and all other planes were just fiction.

The party left by the same manner they arrived, except for me. I had, against my will, looked in the hundredth door. I had been flown back by the eagle which then pecked out my right eye. No, I wasn’t tempted to become a dervish.

Jan 4, or thereabouts

The hermit had a guest, a man who looked like the hermit, but who wasn’t missing his right eye. Yes, the nineteenth son. He thought he knew where a carpet was.

We flew south to Arborium, the brother’s house, one very similar to the hermits house.

On the way we met all manner of talking animals. There were more intelligent than normal animals, but not as much as a human. In the forest near the brother’s house, the djinn attacked us, and kidnapped Darksinger. It told the rest of the party, after they calmed it down, that Bashir had the djinn’s soul., and Azaroth had Bashir’s soul.

The djinn offered to swap Darksinger and a magic carpet for Bashir. We located Bashir and found him very close to where we were. He was accompanying a military force invading a castle near where we were. We raced to the castle, but found a small boy there had already warned the castle, and they were preparing for an attack.

The castle was called Caer Paravel. It was part of a kingdom called Narnia, that was ruled by a collection of nobles. Queen Lucy, Queen Susan, King Edmund, King Loun, and some others.

When Lucy, a skilled healer, was at the castle. The boy turned out to be King Loun’s son.

Keisha flew to Narnia to warn of the attack, the rest of us prepared for attack. Keisha warned the Narnians, they immediately sent off a military force.

An astrologer at Caer Paravel said that Turf had to cast Resist Fire on King Edmund when he arrived.

During the sieges we learned what elves did when they were about to die. Turf shaved his head and painted runes all over his body. Keisha just said “we normally try to weasel out of it. There were many attacks, a siege attempt by tunnelling, and general warfare. The Narnian forces arrived, and there was more warfare. In the end, the Narnians won, and we captured Takan Bashir’s his general Prince Rabbadash. Bashir died in the fighting. Yes, we killed him.

Rabbadash had initiated the invasion, because he wanted Queen Susan, and she had rejected his proposal. Can’t he take a hint? The reason Turf had to cast Resist Fire on the King was that Rabbadash’s force were using these magical swords where each strike caused the victim to be consumed with flame.

In the treasure was a steel bound box, magical, nature of magic soul confinement, with lots of traps, wards and curses. There was a brass key. After divining, we opened the box with the key. Inside was a bottle. We opened that, and the djinn appeared. He said “thank you”, gave us Darksinger and a flying carpet, and left.

The Narnian’s tried Prince Rabbadash, and freed him on his own honour. As usual, it is one law for us, another for the nobles. Then this giant lion appeared. All the Narnians genuflected to it and called it Aslan. The lion cursed Prince Rabbadash, and he ran off screaming.

Jan 11

As directed by Queen Lucy, we rode north to a forest of fir trees, there was a metal pole with a light on the end. We went west, pushing through the trees, and the trees turned into fur coats, and we came out of a wardrobe in a room in the guild complex in Seagate.

The Plane of Var

Time

Passes different on the plane, many decades will pass on Var while only years pass on Alusia. However, while natives of Alusia are physically on Var, and vice versa, the time passes at a rate of one for one.

Magic

Is very different on Var. You can keep drawing mana for a spell, the more mana you draw the more powerful the spell’s effects, but the more chance of backfire.

There are no colleges as such, just spells. One person can learn spells for any number of what we call colleges. For details talk to Zool or Vice Chancellor Dolman (at the College of Math, on Var) or Darksinger (at the Guild in Seagate).

Landsraad

Loose union of states in the south-east of Var. Civilised by our standards, feudal. Some states are pretty free, some are puritanical. Contain human, elf, and hobbit nations.

Giderion has an extensive trade agreement with the Landsraad.

Calormene region

Desert, djinns, magic carpets, evil Grand Viziers. Straight out of a storybook. The chief god is Tash, who manifests as a huge eagle-headed man with six arms. He likes human sacrifice. He is a vengeful god. He likes scorpions, snakes and jackals. There is also Xircan, the god of war, and Lady Zarbeena, the lady of the night. Azaroth is the god of dreams. The emperor is titled the Tisroc, and when talking about him it is proper to say “The Tisroc, may he live forever”. He has a big extended family. It’s a feudal system, with very complicated bloodlines, and people hold grudges for a long, long time. The lords are called Takans. Their consorts are called Takeenas. Below them, equally, are freemen and warriors. Below everyone are slaves. Freemen dress well (to differentiate them from slaves). Slaves are worth around 10 gs. All Calormene are very xenophobic, and don’t travel much. They are also, as a rule, misogynists. Women are second-class citizens.

The only odd-balls are people called dervishes. They are religious zealots who dress in black and travel around a lot. They are psychotic, unpredictable and violent. Few Calormene knowingly cross a dervish. Dervish worship Tash, only bathe four times a year (on religious festivals), fast a lot (leading to light-headedness and psychosis?), pray a lot (four or more times a day), and avoid alcohol. They travel singly. Calormene soldiers use longbows, spears, scimitars, maces and pole arms. No straight swords, no two-handed swords, no axes, no fencing weapons. They wear light armour (it’s a hot climate). Calormene coins are as follows. 1 crescent is worth around 4 sp. 13 minims make a crescent. Some habits to know: “Food hand, shit hand.” Eat with the right hand, wave with the right hand, clean backside with the left hand. If you meet soldiers who outnumber you, bribe them. 10 to 20 sp per heard. If that doesn’t work, kill them. If you meet soldiers whom you outnumber, tell them to go away. Do not solicit bribes. Don’t wish!

Some Notable NPCs

The Last Hermit of the Western Desert

Once there was a man, a wealthy merchant on the town of Tashban,
who had twenty sons. He said to his sons “go and seek a fortune,
then return, the best among you will inherit.” They all, however,
decided to forsake treasure and become hermits. Before they parted
they agreed to meet in Tashban in a year.

When they met, the eldest, Miseur, said “I have been to a magical
place, we can go there and be happy, we don’t need our inheritance.”
Miseur led them to the middle of the desert, and said “go out on a full
moon and wait for the bird”. This they all did, save the youngest two,
who built a house. The second youngest went north to seek a place
where the streams were cold. The youngest stayed in the house, a
hermit.

After many years, all the brothers save the eldest, were deposited
outside the house of the youngest, carried there by a large orange
bird. All had their left eye poked out. All said nothing of it except that
they had been taken to a large castle and there they had made the
worst decision of their lives. All became dervishes, and dispersed into
the wilds.

The youngest brother stayed in the house. He never saw any of his brothers again.

He became the last hermit of the Western Desert.

Akeel: Calormene swashbuckler, adventurer. Slow on the uptake.
Bashanti: Calormene swashbuckler, adventurer, friend of Akeel, betrayed us, we killed him.
Ashram: Calormene swashbuckler, adventurer, friend of Akeel.
Captain Berolithian, of Brittien.: Human/M, mil sci, merchant, speaks lots of languages, knows lots of weapons. Prude. Religious zealot, and intolerant.

Is a member of Landsraad military.

Captain Yindak.: Human/M, cavalier-swashbuckler type, ranger, mil sci, knows lots of weapons. Is a member of Landsraad military.
Vice Chancellor Zool, of Magic College on Math: Human/M, very skilled at magic and the differences between Var mana and Alusian mana.
Lao Tsu: General in Landsraad military. Owes Shoka one for raising him from the dead.

Some Prophecies

I

Three quartains from Yarn Tanner’s “The Twenty Six Gates of Mist”, as selected by party members.

AZURE AND RED OUR TALE HERALDS
BOTH A SIGN; HEART INDEED
READ CARELESSLY EACH EARL DIVINE
JOURNEY IN, NOW NEED

(First letters: AAROTH BASHI RCEED JINN)

DALES LIKE QUESTING ULCERS
IN ZODIAC ARE RESOURCES
THE HEROES EAT SLEEP ERUDITE
AND REST ‘ERE TIRED HORSES

(First letters: DLQU IZAR THESE ARETH)

EMMANUEL EATS NOISILY
YOU’ALL OUTSIDE UNSEEING
SEQUESTERING ENLIGHTENMENT
EMMANUAL KIND-BEING

(First letters: EEN YOU SE EK)

II

A riddle from Paulus’ “Rhymes of the Yet to Come”. Paulus and his brother Markus were ancient princes from the far away lands of Arching, and were the greatest of magicians, founders of the city of Skyaira.

WHO MAKES IT WANTS IT NOT
WHO TAKES IT NEEDS IT NOT
WHO SELLS IT CHARGES NOT
WHO WISH IT BUY IT NOT

III

A poetic vision transcribed by Ang Shao, Lao Tsu’s personal astrologer.

RED FOR BLOOD
WHITE FOR THE TAKER
BLUE FOR ICHOR
GREY FOR THE MAKER

IV

The inscription on “Zanzibars Libram of Reversed Curses”. The rest of the book is sadly lost.

A VERY OLD INSCRIBER,
DOTH WAIL ITS SILVERY
HEART, IN NEVER GIVING
IN CALORMEN!
FONDLY, I NEED DEATH;
BEST ACT SURELY, HOOM
INHERE READETH…

(First letters: AVOID WISHING, IN CALORMEN, FIND BASHIR).

V?

Origin unknown.

OILED PINE EVEN NOW
NEVER OILED TWICE
THY HAVEN, EVER-HOW
UNTIL NORTH DOOR RETNISED
O WOE IS ME,
EVER THY HAVEN,
DON’T OPEN OR RAVEN

(First letters: OPEN NOT THE HUNDR (OWIN) ETH DOOR)

VIII

Scribe on the walls of the house of the last Hermit of the Western Seas.

TWO COLOURS IN ONE APPLE JOINING, SEEMED
TWO CHEEKS IN THE EMBRACE OF LOVES DESIRE
TWO CHEEKS THAT, AS FROM SLEEP THE STARTLED STOOD
ONE YELLOW TURNED WITH FRIGHT, ONE BURNED WITH FIRE
O PARADISE!
THE QUINCE HAS GATHERED EVERY PLEASING TASTE
THEREBY THE QUEEN OF FRUITS SHE HAS BEEN CROWNED
HER TASTE IS WINE, A WAFT OF MUSK HER SCENT
HER HUE IS GOLD, HE SHAPE, LIKE THE MOON, ROUND

Note: We have the rest of the prophecies, Alastair just didn’t write them down. J

Loot List

All items have been checked for curses, wards and traps.

Miscellaneous

Amulet, delusion trap, ward or curse, illusion of fire protection.
Amulet, magical, invisibility.
Amulet.
Dagger, jewelled, formerly living, but made of metal, puissance, +2 damage, has the spirit of a dwarf named Nigel in it.
Ring, magical, reverse accuracy, cursed, warded or trapped.
Ring, magical, summons avians, not cursed, warded or trapped.
Ring.

Bought in Aldenari

Dancing sword, fights on its own, has a belligerent attitude. From battles with Prince Rabbadash’s forces
1,600 crescents (about 6,400 sp).
Amulet, magical, planar portal.
Amulet, magical, protection.
Amulet, takes 1 person and their gear to Azaroth’s plane.
Animal claws, magical, curse, ward or trap.
Arm band.
Armour, partial plate, rank 9 armour smith.
Coffer of silver, around 1,400 sp.
Dagger, hollow point, for use with poison.
Dagger, hollow point, for use with poison.
Dagger, silver.
Dagger, silver.
Good quality horses.
Head torq.
Necklace with symbol of Tash, magical, protection of soul, it stops one’s soul being taken by any entity except Tash.
Necklace with symbol of Tash, magical, protection of soul, it stops one’s soul being taken by any entity except Tash.
Potion healing.
Potion healing.
Ring, magical, defence, +5 defence, doesn’t stack with other magic.
Ring, magical, protection.
Ring, magical, stealth.
Ring.
Ring.
Ring.
Scimitar, rank 5 weapon smith. We have 10 of these, though the Narnians might have kept them.
Sword, big, magical, save vs magic or be petrified, can only be used my a minion of Tash, we may donate this to the guild…
Sword, magical, transmutation, we saw it turn people into dirt, probably only usable by minions of Tash, we don’t know.

Mission items

Flying Carpet, guild valuation 30,000 sp.
Book of instructions, guild valuation 5,000 sp.
Including Giderion’s 20%, this comes to 42,000 sp.