Ismael al-Tahir of the Awaliq, 1st level Lawful Alasiyani Ranger
Shoulder length black hair with dark eyes, the tanned ranger dreamt of living the life of a corsair. He had grown up a nomad, foraging and hunting. Ismael did not own much, barely maintaining the equipment that he already possessed. With what gear he could muster, plain wool clothing and the sandals on his feet, Ismael headed east from Sulba toward the Sea of Dread, Ylaruam now a day ahead after his encounter with the Nightmare Priest in the village of Manahil. The village where he met a strange woman named Jamila ibn Alia.
Ismael encountered a strange, skeletal man that warned him about a supernatural while exploring a mysterious ruin that had appeared from a silver fog.
S 13 (+1 / 3:6 / +5%) I 08 W 10 D 09 C 12 C 11 (4 retainers / 7 loyalty)
AB +0 (+1 / +0) AC 13 / 12 without shield HP 5 / 6 MV 60' / 20'
Saves : D 12 W 13 P 14 B 15 S 16
Abilities : Awareness, Foraging and Hunting, Pursuit, Surprise Attack, Tracking (20%)
Languages : Common and Neutral
Gear (800 coins weight) : backpack, gems worth 50 dinar, jewelry worth 3900 dinar, leather armor, potion of diminution, potion of healing (2), potion of invisibility, scroll of read languages, shield, spear, standard rations (6), tinderbox, torches (6), waterskin, 378 dinar, 0 dirham, 0 fal
1,135 experience
[E Muzeki, The Kiss]
It was one more day to Ylaruam. A long trek burdened by the heavy backpack. As he neared the city, Ismael foraged to replenish the rations he had consumed : abal, acacia and dates. He had come across enough for four days of food, but he only took half; Ismael had a week's supply in total now, and someone else may need it more than he.
As evening approached, Ismael made it to the gates of Ylaruam. It's outer walls were two, maybe three, people tall, white plaster with an iron portcullis. A pair of guards stood by, watching people pass with bored expressions. The streets beyond the gate were still filled with people going to and from the markets even in this hour. The horse can wait until morning, and, perhaps, he could acquire some better equipment. For now, he followed Coppersmith Road to the nearest inn, Copper Vine, its name etched beneath a vine of grape leaves painted in copper with silver highlights.
[Odds Check for "Is the purchase at listed price?" Likely, 75%. Result : Yes]
The next morning, and seven silver dirham for a common room and meal, Ismael began his excursion. A riding horse with saddlebags were foremost in his mind. A pair of axes. Mail replaced the leather he wore. A short bow with a quiver of arrows for some distance. Two small sacks to organize his belongings. And, lastly, a lantern and oil.
"You seem ready for adventure," a reserved voice remarked.
Ismael tested the sling of the lance with the saddle horn. He turned and saw an older gentleman, greying hair, bearded, in a dark thawb embroidered in blue. The stranger's smile seemed genuine.
"My travels have been strange lately," Ismael noted.
"There must be a story in there," the stranger replied. "I collect curiosities. And stories as well. I am Ahmad, peace be upon you. Care to tell your tale?" Ahmad gestured across the way toward a tent where the scent of coffee lingered.
Ismael shrugged, seeing no reason not to entertain the elder. One of the reasons he had left that mysterious ruin was to tell someone about the strange things happening in the night. Ismael started with the story of Manahil then the ruins that appeared out of nowhere with emaciated orcs. The skeletal man that looked more like a boy that sent him away. He half expected Ahmad to mock him, so he produced the scroll of indecipherable script as proof.
"May I see that?" asked Ahmad. Ismael handed over the scroll. Ahmad spoke an incantation, fingers contorting with arcane gestures. A minute later, he smiled. "Ironic," he said, "it holds the magic to read languages. As you were not able to read it, I would take this off your hands at the market rate. I could use it for my personal studies, if you don't mind."
Ismael didn't know what the market rate for a scroll of reading languages was, but something was better than carrying something worthless. He nodded.
"Standard price for a scroll such as this? Five hundred dinar." Five. Hundred? Ismael didn't know a piece of parchment would be worth that price, but he agreed. "And did you find anything else in these ruins?"
Ismael showed him the vials of liquid of various colors. Ahmad studied each one carefully, holding it up to the light to check opacity, unstoppered the vial to smell the scent, a quick taste from the tip of his little finger. Ahmad waited almost a minute after each taste, nodding absently to himself.
"This one," he pointed at the vial containing a murky liquid. "Do as I did, it is not poison, and it will likely help you. You taste the mint? The fennel? This will allow you to walk unseen for a short while. Keep it." Ahmad tapped the two vials of scarlet liquid. "This one has notes of cinnamon and ginger. It will help heal wounds." Ahmad looked at the final vial with a slight smile, "And this, the one that is sapphire and tastes of juniper and rosemary? You would shrink to the length of my hand. Mostly a curiosity, but I would offer two hundred dinar for it. Not the fair market price, but I'm mostly interested in its novelty."
Seven. Hundred. Dinar. Ismael came away with almost a thousand dinar in the past two days. Imagine what he could do as a corsair, sailing from port to port. His daydream was interrupted by Ahmad placing a handful of gems, rubies and sapphires, into his hand. "Easier to carry gems with moderate value than hundreds of coins," he added sagely. "Invest in gems, jewelry and goods. Your wealth will be easier to manage."
"Why do you know this?" Ismael asked.
Ahmad smiled. "As I said, I collect curiosities, and, sometimes, I have to go to the site myself. In this case, I would ask that you return to the ruin and deal with Taaj. You were called there for a reason that only Al-Kalim knows."
"I was headed east," Ismael said, "to the Sea of Dread."
"Ah. Adventure, hm? Believe me, life is filled with adventure right under your feet." Ahmad's expression was amused yet paternal. "Deal with Taaj, explore what you can. The Sea of Dread will still be there. And if you happen across other oddities? I will pay you a fair price for them. Some of them I will resell, others are for my collection. Then you can head to the sea and find a ship, though I suspect you would not be happy."
"Why is that?"
"Because the morals of a corsair are more flexible than what I believe your's to be. You seem to be upstanding; a life of plunder is not as romantic as some would dream. Not always. But in some cases..." Ahmad's gaze turned inward, a sad smile peeking momentarily. "When you head east, you will discover yourself." His fingers tapped the wooden table, the sad smile replaced with a cheerful one. "However, my offer stands. Deal with Taaj. Return with a story. Then you can choose to continue east. Two, three days work and payment for what you find."
The weight of the gems still fresh in his mind, Ismael made his decision. "Alright, Ahmad, I will go back to the ruins. I will return to the Copper Vine in a few days."
"I wish you well," said Ahmad as Ismael rose to leave.
Ismael was thankful for a mount. A blue roan he named Hibah. Hibah cut his travel time from a day's journey to half that. When he arrived where the ruins had been, the sun was still hours from setting. He used that time to feed and care for Hibah and foraging for more food. Then, finally, the night approached.
He awoke in the early morning, the sun concealed by a now familiar fog. The ruined, crumbling walls had returned. Ismael knew where he must go. The cellar with no walls and the stairs leading down. This time, he knew what to expect and approached cautiously, listening for the voices or footsteps of the thin orcs. Nothing.
The steps leading down opened into the small basement where the treasure hoard had been. The lone tunnel stretching back deeper into the earth. There had been, what, four, six orcs down here? His footsteps slowed, ears painfully focused on listening. He could hear his own heartbeat then the almost forgotten one-two of another's heart against his chest. This was it. The tap against his chest confirmed it.
Ismael stepped from the basement and into the tunnel. He could see a small stone chamber just beyond. A fountain, dry for far too long, and four orcs kicking at dirty, empty metal plates. "Nothing!" one shouted, the ceiling bringing an echo down the corridor. "No food! No water! Nothing!" It picked up a plate and viciously threw it at the wall.
Ismael weighed his options. He had spare food, especially after foraging these past few hours. He gambled their hunger against their aggression. "I have food."
[Monster morale : 2d6 vs. 6. Result : 9]
An orc glanced up at Ismael's words then leapt to his feet. "It's him! The Orcslayer! Taaj! Taaj!" and it retreated through a door at the back of the chamber. The remaining three hung back, peering suspiciously at Ismael. Hands on crude blades, they seemed undecided between fleeing or attacking. The heart within the basement thumped against his sternum. It was beyond the door the orc had fled through.
"I can give you food. I only want passage beyond that door."
[Ability Check : 1d20 vs. Charisma. Result : 19]
"No!" the angry orc replied. "You want to kill Taaj. Taaj will kill the Orcslayer. You stay; Taaj come soon."
Those prophetic words heralded Taaj's arrival. The door burst open and a large form shouldered its way into the fountain room. The frame flexed and bent then broke as a creature almost nine feet tall struggled into the room. The stonework gave, dust fell from the ceiling. Ismael's first thought was "ogre" but it was thin and scrawny, like the orcs. It looked more like a human that had grown too large.
"We take your food!" the angry orc screamed. "Then eat your flesh and drink your blood!"
[Initiative Check : 1d6 vs. 1d6. Orcs : 5; Ismael : 6]
[Player rolls Attack : 1d20 + 1 vs. AC 14. Result : 9. Fray Die : 1 damage]
[Player rolls Defense : 1d20 + 5 vs. 11 three times and 14. Result : 4 pass]
Ismael grabbed his spear and charged at the ogre. The thrust went between the creature's legs. The shield bashed the angry orc in the face, then the spear reached out and silenced him. His shield parried three blows from the orc then the ogre's club lashed out. The force of the blow pushed him back against the fountain.
[Player rolls Attack : 1d20 + 1 vs. AC 14. Result : 8. Fray Die : 2 damage]
[Player rolls Defense : 1d20 + 5 vs. 11 and 14. Result : 2 pass]
Pushing off the fountain wall, Ismael drove his spear into the chest of a second orc. A third received a kick to the legs followed by a shield bash. As it fell to the ground, another strike drove the shield's rim into the orc's neck. Reflexively, the shield came up and warded an attack from the last orc, and the ogre's club crashed against it, pushing Ismael to the floor.
[Player rolls Attack : 1d20 + 1 vs. AC 14. Result : 8. Fray Die : 1 damage]
[Player rolls Defense : 1d20 + 5 vs. 14. Result : pass]
[Player rolls Attack : 1d20 + 1 vs. AC 14. Result : 18. 1 damage]
[Player rolls Defense : 1d20 + 5 vs. 14. Result : pass]
[Player rolls Attack : 1d20 + 1 vs. AC 14. Result : 16. 2 damage]
[Player rolls Defense : 1d20 + 5 vs. 14. Result : pass]
[Player rolls Attack : 1d20 + 1 vs. AC 14. Result : 18. 1 damage]
Ismael rises from the floor and swept his spear across the legs of the remaining orc. Splayed against the ground, the spear tip entered its chest and ended it quickly. Taaj swung its club; the shield intercepted it and spun Ismael into position. The spear lashed out and traced a quick cut across the thing's thigh. Another blow, Ismael fell to one knee against its weight. The spear rose and skewered the ogre through the abdomen. Taaj weakly brought a fist down against Ismael's shield. Ismael responded with a kick to the knee, a shield bash to the ogre's face then a spear thrust to its neck.
And it was over. Ismael's breath heaved as he looked down at the corpses. That quick and for what? The heartbeat thumped against Ismael's chest. His work was not yet done. The broken doorway yawned before him, and Ismael had little choice but to press forward.
A dining hall greeted Ismael. The plates were empty but dirty with stains of aged gravy and streaks of old food. The trestle table seemed ready to receive guests, but the placings were barren. Candles were lit and burned with a welcome light. The fireplace offered warmth. But it was a hollow reflection.
"My pack is in the corner," a voice said.
Ismael turned and looked at the young elder. "What do I do with it?" he asked.
"Take it. Destroy it. It matters little. In either case, we will be free."
"What happens when you are freed?"
"Who knows?" the skeletal boy shrugged. "I just want this to end."
Ismael grabbed the pack, within was an amethyst and a bundle of gold coins. "Keep them," the boy said. "As thanks for setting me free."
Ismael nodded resolutely, taking the pack and marching back to Hibah. The fog dissipated with an audible sigh. The ruins vanished beneath the weight of the sun. Together, the two of them rode back to Ylaruam and were greeted by Ahmad and a stranger. A true stranger. He wore a strange breastplate made of brass molded to show his muscles beneath. A red skirt of leather. Brass greaves and bracers.
Ahmad smiled. "This i-..."
"Dasofylakos," the stranger volunteered. "Member of the Order of Lost Horizons." He bowed. "Some just call us Horizon Walkers. Ahmad told me about you, and we suspect you have a short story to tell..."
[E Muzeki, Kashmir]
Ismael al-Tahir of the Awaliq, 1st level Lawful Alasiyani Ranger
Shoulder length black hair with dark eyes, the tanned ranger dreamt of living the life of a corsair. He had grown up a nomad, foraging and hunting. Ismael did not own much, barely maintaining the equipment that he already possessed. With what gear he could muster, plain wool clothing and the sandals on his feet, Ismael headed east from Sulba toward the Sea of Dread, Ylaruam now a day ahead after his encounter with the Nightmare Priest in the village of Manahil. The village where he met a strange woman named Jamila ibn Alia.
Ismael encountered a strange, skeletal man that warned him about a supernatural while exploring a mysterious ruin that had appeared from a silver fog.
S 13 (+1 / 3:6 / +5%) I 08 W 10 D 09 C 12 C 11 (4 retainers / 7 loyalty)
AB +0 (+1 / +0) AC +5 / +4 without shield HP 6 / 6 MV 60' / 20'
Saves : D 12 W 13 P 14 B 15 S 16
Abilities : Awareness, Foraging and Hunting, Pursuit, Surprise Attack, Tracking (20%)
Languages : Common and Neutral
Gear (744 coins weight) : backpack, chain armor, gems worth 50 dinar (15), gem worth 100 dinar, hand axes (2), jewelry worth 1950 dinar (2), lantern, oil flask (5), potion of healing (2), potion of invisibility, riding horse with saddlebags (carries jewelry (2, estimated 1950 dinar), 200 dinar, 220 coins weight), shield, short bow with quiver of arrows (20), small sack (2), spear, standard rations (9), tinderbox, torches (6), waterskin, 72 dinar, 3 dirham, 0 fal
1,215 experience
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