*** Session 12 - Scene 4 (of 10) ***

The baghala moves along at a brisk pace with the moderate winds blowing to the north. In the afternoon, they pass near some of the outlying islands near Ruhh Island. One of them appears to have a recent shipwreck on it.

Suelasta suggests they go investigate. The party agrees, with M'Balz hoping for treasure and Gra'bir hoping they find Butrus.

The four of them take a qarib over. Suelasta has Gra'bir take the lead with M'Balz and Adanband following him while Suelasta himself guards the rear.

As they move closer, they see a large hole in the side of the ship. Gra'bir spots a couple of corpses lying just outside of the hole, in the shadows of the ship.

Moving in cautiously, the approach the bodies. M'Balz readies his bow, borrowing a few arrows from Gra'bir.

When they get within 20 feet of the bodies, they can see the bodies are worse for wear. The lower halves appear to have been eaten on by crabs.

Gra'bir spots a flag inside the hole. M'Balz realizes it is a plague flag. Everyone begins backing up slowly to avoid getting the plague.

M'Balz then realizes the flag is familiar; it is the flag Butrus made and the ship is the pirate ship with the corpses they set loose in the sea days ago. Just then, two giant crabs emerge from the wreckage and head towards the group.

Gra'bir stabs out with his lance, but it bounces off the creature's hard shell. M'Balz has no better luck with his arrow.

Adanband summons his sphere of fire and moves it towards the creatures. It doesn't harm them, but does manage to keep them at bay for the moment.

Taking the opportunity, Suelasta tells everyone to leave, saying he already has giant crabs in his collection. Following his lead, everyone makes a run for it. They easily outpace the creatures and make it back to the qarib.

*** Session 12 - Scene 5 (of 10) ***

The rest of the day is uneventful. By night, the ship's navigator estimates they have made it halfway to Hiyal. But the winds shift south as the sun falls and the captains drops the anchor for the evening.

Suelasta has the party join him for dinner on the promenade. He tells them they have already had a good adventure and offers them rum. M'Balz and Adanband suspiciously decline, but Gra'bir drinks the fine rum and enjoys it.

Much of the evening is spent with Suelasta regaling everyone with tales of his wonderful zoo exhibits. He also has many stories about how great he, personally, is – often referring to himself in the third person as "Suelasta the Magnificent." Gra'bir finds the gregarious yet prideful man to be quite entertaining.

In the middle of the tale, a trio of strange creatures climb over the side of the deck. They appear to be dwarf-sized humanoid figures made of coral. One of the crew yells out, "What in the name of the Loregiver?"

Gra'bir asks Suelasta if he needs one of these creatures for his collection. He says he does, as he's never seen such a thing. The warrior then tells him to step aside and he'll procure one. M'Balz also leaps into the fray, yelling "By the lost ball of One-Balled Billy!"

The dense structure of the creatures proves tougher to penetrate than expected, as Gra'bir finds when he lance deflects off of it.

Trying a different tactic, M'Balz gets out his rope. He tosses one side to Adanband and then circles two of the creatures to bind them. Unfortunately, the creature's strength and sharp coral bodies allow them to quickly break out of the ropes.

Gra'bir manages to get in a penetrating hit on one of the creatures. M'Balz, meanwhile, uses half the rope to try his gambit to tie up the creatures again. Once again, it fails to contain them.

The creatures attack back, but everyone manages to fend off their attacks. Gra'bir drops his lance and grabs on to one of the creatures. The sharp coral of their bodies cuts his hand and the creature manages to break out of his grip. However, he starts heading for the sea but seems to dry out and crumble into pieces before he gets there.

M'Balz and Adanband get the remaining rope around the other two creatures. They again break out quickly.

Gra'bir draws his sword and slashes into one of the creatures. The sword itself does not appear to do a lot of damage but the creature is drying out and getting more brittle looking by the moment.

Adanband, however, focuses on trying to incapacitate the creatures. He casts a stinking cloud spell; one of the creatures ignores it and gets back to the sea, while the other is incapacitated.

Suelasta acts quickly, throwing a net around the creature and having his men stuff it in a water barrel. He thanks the group and says it will be a magnificent exhibit, whatever it is. He later researches the creatures and decides they must be a monster called a colenite.

Gra'bir, meanwhile, is worried about his injuries. He asks after a healer, but Suelasta does not employ one. He mentions they can find one in Hiyal, which is a week or two away at most. Gra'bir starts hinting Suelasta should pay for the healing since they did him the service of defeating the creatures, but the nobleman reminds him that was merely part of their agreement for passage to Hiyal.

*** Session 12 - Scene 6 (of 10) ***

The next morning, strong winds to the north take the ship past Roq Island. M'Balz tries to suggest Suelastsa attempt to capture the two-headed roc of Roq Island, but he says both they are not powerful enough to defeat such a creature, and could they fit it on the ship in any case.

M'Balz tries to bait Suelasta more, but he does not go for it. He does mention that should M'Balz be getting any ideas about trying to take the ship, the crew has explicit orders to kill all of them should Suelasta come to an unfortunate end on any of their outings.

The rest of the day is uneventful, other than passing somewhat near another merchant ship. By the end of the day, they have traveled an estimated 45 miles, putting them much closer to Hiyal.

The next day the winds pick back up to a gale. In the morning they blow to the south, effectively halting the progress of the ship. By mid-day, the prevailing winds shift again and they are able to make some progress.

At night, however, the winds shift again. The captain tries to sail the ship effectively, but the ship is blown into a sandbar.

The heavy winds continue to blow for the next two days, preventing repairs and leaving the ship stranded on the sandbar. Then a storm hits, showering them for another two days before it breaks.

Stuck inside the ship, there is little to do but talk. The group hears several rumors, most of which they've heard before – the sultana taking Zargar Quarterman as a lover and the previous caliph of Wasat being killed by holy slayers for crimes against the faith. They also hear a little more about Hiyal, and how the foundries there produce some of the best weapons in all the land.

Once the storm breaks and the winds die back down, the crew makes their way outside and begins repairs. The ship's boatswain informs Suelasta the carpenter estimates repairs will take four days.

Taking in some of the sun, the group sees they are marooned on a sandbar along a coast. The beach continues for a short ways before becoming thick jungle.

*** Session 12 - Scene 7 (of 10) ***

Restless, Gra'bir convinces Suelasta they should head into the jungle to hunt. After exploring a distance, the warrior finds some animal tracks; they are not overly familiar to him as the creature is not from the desert, but appear to be large, monkey-like tracks.

Suelasta looks at the tracks and believes they are ape tracks. Gra'bir asks if he needs any apes in his zoo. The hunter responds it depends on the type of ape, but he wants to follow the tracks. Gra'bir agrees, noting apes are rarely dangerous.

After following the tracks for a while, Gra'bir spots some of the apes up high in the jungle canopy ahead. He counts a total of five, and sees they are large, carnivorous apes. He suggests they try to isolate one to capture it.

M'Balz believes Gra'bir's plan has merit, and asks what he has in mind. Gra'bir says they should create some kind of distraction then use some kind of tactic to separate one of the apes, mumbling something about using food. M'Balz tells him the details of his plan are lacking.

Coming up with his own plan, M'Balz suggests Suelasta yell at the apes and get them to chase him, and then the others can grab the smallest, weakest ape from behind as they pass by. Suelasta likes the plan in general, but suggests Adanband would be better to create the distraction.

Changing tactics, Gra'bir decides to use a snare instead. Looking around, they find some vines to wind together to make the snare. M'Balz voices his concern that the plan is awful, but goes along with it anyway especially after he asks Adanband for advice and the elf has none.

Adanband and Suelasta keep watch, but the apes are still keeping their distance. M'Balz approaches the apes a little closer and starts to make "ape-like" motions towards them and "talk ape" to them. Gra'bir, feeling this is a stupid but distracting plan, sneaks off to find a smaller animal for bait.

The apes seem genuinely confused by M'Balz's actions. He continues on with them for some time until Gra'bir comes back with a chicken he captured.

Gra'bir uses a piece of rope and spike to spike the chicken to the ground and sets the snare around it. The group then moves back a ways, with Gra'bir holding ready the rope to snare the chicken.

Hopes of the plan are dashed when one of the apes swings by on a vine from the trees and grabs the chicken. He lands on a nearby branch and starts eating it. M'Balz tries to hit him with an arrow in mid-swing, but misses.

Gra'bir hurls a javelin, striking the creature in its backside. M'Balz hurls one of his as well, hitting the beast in his leg. Adanband and Suelasta hold back at the ready.

The other apes jump down from the trees and charging at the group. The ape in the trees pulls the javelin out of his hind quarters and throws it back at M'Balz, but misses.

The apes reach the group quickly, each taking on one of the group. The one attacking M'Balz claws into him, as does the one attacking Adanband, while Gra'bir and Suelasta manage to fight off the ones attacking them. The ape in the trees throws the other javelin at Gra'bir, but misses again.

Gra'bir then stabs at the ape in front of him with his lance. It strikes deep, but the beast fights on. M'Balz likewise stabs the one attacking him with his remaining javelin, using it as a small spear. Adanband, however, has no luck with his staff.

The ape in the trees swings down to join the others while M'Balz is clawed twice by one of the beasts, though he manages to prevent getting bit. Adanband is likewise clawed twice and not bitten.

Using his lance, Gra'bir finishes off the ape attacking him. M'Balz scores another hit with his javelin as well, but the ape attacking him is tougher and fights on. Adanband smashes the one attacking him, but it likewise sloughs off the blow.

The ape attacking M'Balz claws into him deeply, badly wounding him. Adanband takes another series of injuries.

Moving quickly, Gra'bir maneuvers over to the ape who came down from the trees and drives the lance through it. M'Balz grazes the ape attacking him with an attack as well, while Adanband uses his burning hands spell to light the one attacking him on fire. The fiery ape runs off into the jungle, screaming.

The ape strikes M'Balz again. He barely manages to stay conscious while Gra'bir finishes the beast off with his lance.

Around this time, Suelasta manages to knock out the ape attacking him and wraps it up in a net. Throwing it over his shoulder, he says they should head back to the ship. He notes M'Balz looks injured, and the rogue promptly crashes to the ground.

Gra'bir notes his companions are not are hearty as Suelasta and he are. Suelasta suggests they should bring a healer along with them in their travels.

As they head back, with Gra'bir carrying M'Balz, they discuss their victory and plans to celebrate with rum. Suelasta is excited to have the ape in his zoo. He decides to give him a mighty name that people will fear him when they see him – calling the ape "Cesar".

Celebrating back on the ship, Suelasta explains he has a few other apes already in his zoo. Suelsta says one is an orangutan named "Bear", because the man who sold him to him believed he was some type of bear. M'Balz, familiar with the story, confirms he is talking about a caravan trader named Be'jhay.

*** Session 12 - Scene 8 (of 10) ***

The next day passes uneventfully as the group tries to rest and heal up. On the third day, repairs continue but the boatswain notes that two men who went into the jungle to get more wood have disappeared.

Suelasta asks the group for help in finding the workers. Gra'bir is happy to volunteer, though M'Balz is concerned about heading back into the jungles as he is still badly injured.

Gra'bir quickly finds the trail of the men. Following their prints, he finds a pile of wood that appears to have been dropped.

Scouting around, M'Balz finds a large set of footprints. They are humanoid but giant-sized. He also sees a huge, primitive arrow imbedded into a nearby tree.

Gra'bir takes the arrow and they head back to explain what they found. He urges the boatswain to accelerate repairs.

M'Balz, however, makes an offer to Suelasta for them to go and try to locate the men but needs some kind of healing. Suelasta does offer the use of his one healing potion he keeps locked up.

After M'Balz drinks the potion, the three head back into the jungle. Gra'bir picks up the giant's tracks, but as they follow them, the tracks suddenly, abruptly stop.

A giant arrow then whizzes by Adanband's head, coming at them from behind. M'Balz realizes the jungle giant has backtracked and ambushed them.

Before they can react further, another arrow shoots out. This one fires straight through the middle of Adanband. He falls over, dead, looking like an elf kabob.

Gra'bir and M'Balz take cover. Gra'bir can see the giant back in the trees, also behind cover.

The two maneuver their way around, trying to stay behind cover while the giant moves into position to fire at them again.

When they reach the edge of the treeline, Gra'bir makes a run back to the ship while M'Balz hides. After a moment, the giant approaches the area. It looks around, but clearly doesn't spot M'Balz nor does it move to attack the others back at the ship.

M'Balz briefly considers trying to backstab the creature, but realizes he wouldn't be able to kill it in a single shot and would be quickly dead. Instead, he stays hidden as the giant walks past him. The creature then puts away his bow, draws a giant dagger from a pouch along his leg, and heads back towards Adanband's body.

Back at the ship, Gra'bir updates Suelasta and the captain, and the men prepare fortifications to protect them while they continue through the night to finish the work on the ship. They also light fires along the tree line so the monster can't sneak up on them.

After some time, M'Balz emerges from the trees. Suelasta and Gra'bir are surprised, believing M'Balz had been killed as well. They ask after Adanband's body, but M'Balz says the elf is likely being used as dinner by the giant.

Gra'bir is saddened by the loss of their sorcerer, wondering what they will do without his powerful array of spells. M'Balz laments the stories he's heard of jungle giants anally raping the dead before eating them. Suelasta calls the situation "unfortunate", but suggests they could recruit another sorcerer in Hiyal.

*** Session 12 - Scene 9 (of 10) ***

Despite their fears, the giant does not attack from the jungle that night. They do see smoke at one point and smell a strangely-tasty odor emanating from the jungles.

As they push the ship back into the sea, Gra'bir laments the loss of two of their companions on their journey. M'Balz doesn't seem to miss the dwarf, but Gra'bir is saddened by the loss of "Little Chub", even with his stiff disposition.

The ship makes good progress towards Hiyal, with the navigator estimating they will reach it by early evening. As they get close, the ship comes near a courier ship. The captain decides to hail it for news.

M'Balz and Gra'bir accompany Suelasta and the captain over to the courier ship. They are greeted by the captain of the ship, a halfling named Adel.

Adel tells them the latest news from Hiyal. One of the things he mentions is about refugees from Calisham (a Zakharan kingdom in the outlands) flooding the northern cities; apparently conflict has arisen between Calisham and a kingdom called Tethyr.

As they are talking, M'Balz happens to notice the large pile of scrolls being couriered contains one scroll with a strange-looking seal of gold wax around a seal of black wax. The design seems strangely familiar to M'Balz, but he can't remember why.

M'Balz asks Adel where he is headed. The halfling explains he will be heading to Wasat, then Huzaz, and then over to the pearl cities from there.

The rogue calls out the scroll with the strange seal, saying it looks strangely familiar. Adel explains there are actually three of them with that seal.

Digging the scrolls out of the pile, Adel tells M'Balz the scrolls are scheduled to be delivered to Wasat, Huzaz, and Tajar. According to the halfling, he was paid to deliver the scrolls by a strangely-dressed elf woman who spoke with an accent of the cities of the ancients.

The elf woman is also described as having a fourth such scroll she was delivering to someone in Hiyal. Adel is curious why M'Balz is so interested. M'Balz offers to "assist" in the delivery, asking after who the scrolls were to be delivered to.

Adel offers he might recall who they were being delivered to, and hold out his hand. After M'Balz hands over a few dinar, Adel gives the contacts as a courier named Atif in Wasat, a desert tribesman outside of Huzaz named Nabhan, and a courier in Tajar named Durriyah.

Sensing M'Balz's high level of interest, Adel notes if he were distracted by, say, a pile of gold on the deck of his ship, he might not notice if the scrolls just disappeared.

M'Balz throws down twenty dinar and grabs the scrolls. They bid the courier well and head back to their ship.

*** Session 12 - Scene 10 (of 10) ***

Back on the ship, Suelasta asks M'Balz what all that was about. He gives him a line about his father being in government in Huzaz and wanting to help.

Once they are alone, back in their stateroom, M'Balz reads the scrolls aloud to Gra'bir. He begins with the one going to Huzaz.

That scroll reads, "To the honorable Horselord of the Crimson Rivers, I bid you greetings in good faith. The prophets behold your ascension, and all the shifting sands of the desert should give rise to your dune should you find my tent upon it. Together, we shall seek our retribution and stop the beating of the heart of the heart.

The time for decision draws near, and I would have your answer in 30 suns. You may send it back with this courier. The tent of my ear can be found at the palace of the left-handed khedive." It is signed "C.D."

Neither M'Balz nor Gra'bir are sure who the letter is addressed to (unfamiliar with the "horselord of the crimson rivers"). They do recognize the style of the letter as being similar to the one they found in the desert. M'Balz is fairly sure the "stop the heart of the heart" section refers to killing the Grand Caliph (who is known as the heart of the heart of Zakhara).

Next, he reads the one headed to the courier in Wasat. It is extremely similar to the first letter he found, with some slight differences, reading, "To the honorable Grand Vizier, I have not yet had an answer, so I believe my first servant was waylaid. I bid you greetings in good faith. The prophets behold your ascension, and you would have a high place at my table with the pearls laid before you should you find yourself in the shadows of the light of the Great Caliph Khalil al-Assad al-Zahir (short may he reign).

The time for decision draws near, and I would have your answer in 30 suns. You may send it back with a courier or use your pet to deliver the answer. The tent of my ear can be found at the palace of the left-handed khedive." Like the other, it is signed "C.D."

M'Balz realizes the first letter wasn't intended for Huzaz, but must have been going to Wasat. The rogue knows the comment about the "pet" is a key to understanding who it was sent to, but isn't sure what it means.

The last letter, going to Tajar, reads, "To the honorable Young Master Lancer, I bid you greetings in good faith. The prophets behold your ascension, and your greatness will inspire the return of the sultanate, with the riches of all trade flowing through your house, should you find yourself in the shadows of the light of the Great Caliph Khalil al-Assad al-Zahir (short may he reign).

The time for decision draws near, and I would have your answer in 30 suns. You may send it back with a courier or use one of your bodyguards to deliver the answer. The tent of my ear can be found at the palace of the left-handed khedive." It is also signed "C.D."

Seeing what they all have in common, M'Balz wonders about the "palace of the left-handed khedive." He asks Suelasta about it, but the man only says he knows that two cities of the ancients still use "khedive" as the title of the ruling lord – Rog'osto, City of Spires, and Kadarasto, City Most Sinister.

M'Balz isn't sure what to make of all this, but clearly the conspiracy is much wider than he originally believed. As he contemplates everything, the ship begins heading into the smoke from the foundries on the outskirts of Hiyal.

*** Session 12 - Session Notes ***

This session was a return to a more normal flow. We got started on time and didn't have any technical issues. We did break a little earlier than normal, mostly because we wanted all the PCs ready to go once we start in Hiyal.

Butrus' quick exit this session was simply that the player couldn't show up. Nothing permanently bad will happen to him, I simply used the shipwreck as an opportunity to move him off screen for a bit. He'll turn up like a bad penny later.

Everything that happened this session was rolled up ahead of time (random wind strengths, directions, encounters, etc.) I actually had to do a fair amount of prep because I never planned for the PCs to actually go to Hiyal. But, putting together the random encounters and some thoughts on how to integrate some of the campaign plots, I think it worked out great.

Other notes about the session:
* As always, the rumors the PCs hear come from various random rumor tables by location I have. Some are true, some are false.

* I originally had a reason the merchant ship was called the Rising Tide, but I can't recall what it was.

* Combats this session were crazy. The PCs got some abysmal rolls (again), while I rolled a dozen or more 10s on 1d10 whenever we rolled initiative.

* I did roll up the treasure for the sea wyrm; but I don't see how the PCs could have ever actually found it.

* For M'Balz's possessions, I again made him roll an item save for each to see what he lost when he fell into the water.

* Suelasta was a random encounter, but when I rolled the encounter I came up with the idea of a monster hunter being the owner of the ship as a way to fuel more adventures.

* The Sumatran Rat-Monkey is a call-out to Peter Jackson's movie, Dead Alive (aka Braindead). Sadly, the reference was lost on my players who weren't familiar with the film.

* When I rolled a shipwreck encounter, I knew it would have to be the pirate ship they let loose at sea.

* I'm not sure why the PCs got so suspicious of the rum offered by Suelasta.

* I really liked it when the M'Balz player had his character give a call-back to One-Balled Billy.

* The rope trick M'Balz and Adanband were trying was doomed; not sure why it took so many tries before they realized that.

* There was a lot of discussion about the plot to capture an ape. All the players thought the plans were dumb, but couldn't think of anything else.

* I somewhat cheated by having the ape steal the chicken via vine-swing, but I claim rule of funny.

* Naming the ape "Cesar" is, of course, an allusion to the ape from the various Planet of the Apes films.

* The orangutan Bear and his owner Be'jhay are joke allusions to the old tv show, B.J and the Bear. At least the M'Balz player caught that one.

* Adanband's death was the result of a natural 20 roll by the giant. Since they didn't recover the body, he'll be replaced by a new character in Hiyal.

* I wanted the giant encounter to have a Predator sort of feel.

* Originally, I had rolled for a jaguar encounter and tiger encounter as well during their time waiting on repairs. Given the death of Adanband and M'Balz being so badly wounded, I took mercy.

* Adel's news about Calisham and Tethyr sets up one of the four major plot points of the campaign, though the PCs won't realize that just yet (think of Tethyr as the European Christians and Calisham as the Moors of Spain).

* When I played out Adel's conversation with M'Balz (hinting about wanting money) I was thinking of the scene between Eddie Murphy and Gilbert Godfrey's characters in Beverly Hills Cop 2 where he's trying to get out of the unpaid parking tickets.

* As I did before, I typed up and printed the scrolls so I could hand them to the PCs.

* The scrolls contain a fair amount of clues about the conspiracy, but the PCs are having a tough time trying to figure them out. I think part of the problem is they keep trying to solve them without actually trying to research some of the things mentioned instead of just thinking it referred to something they should already know / be able to puzzle out. For example, this session was the first time they actually tried to figure out what "khedive" meant (though the left-handed part is a riddle).

* One interesting fact the PCs don't know yet that was purposely done to cause confusion - in each case, the final destination of the scrolls isn't the same city / location where the scrolls were being delivered.

* As for what "C.D." means, that should become more obvious in the next session or so.

*** Session 13 - Cast of Characters ***

M'Balz Al-Badassi: A human rogue from the city. M'Balz is the member of a noble family with political connections, but is bored with his wealthy lifestyle and instead performs as a masked scoundrel for hire know as Al-Caliph.

Gra'bir Boubi: A human warrior from the desert tribe of the Wah'na Poq-yah tribe of the Haunted Lands. A superb hunter, Gra'bir has come to the city of Huzaz to look for a quest to prove himself a great warrior.

Butrus: A dwarf priest with a fervent faith and damaged memory.

*** Session 13 - Scene 1 (of 9) ***

The city of Hiyal is a gray industrial city, surrounded by a cloud of smoke filled with the stench of its foundries and kilns. As their ship docks into port, M'Balz and Gra'bir can see that everywhere appears to be covered in a grimy layer of filth.

As they get off the boat, M'Balz complains that without the dwarf, there is little point in them being in such a disgusting city. Just then, they hear a nearby fisherman complaining about a dwarf being caught in his net.

M'Balz looks over, seeing a large net filled with fish (which Gra'bir identifies as scrod) and a rather slimy-looking Butrus. Gra'bir expresses his surprise, certain their companion was dead.

The dwarf appears to be in some sort of stupor, but does start yelling for someone to get him out of the damn net. M'Balz moves to cut the net open with his dagger while Gra'bir helps to widen it.

Butrus finds himself standing on the dock, somewhat confused. The last thing he remembers is being swept out to sea from their wrecked ship. The city, however, is vaguely familiar to him.

M'Balz, smelling the fish scent, tells him he needs a bath. The priest is more interested in what happened to him. M'Balz says he does not know, as they assumed he drowned since he went into the water many, many, many, many, many leagues away and there is no rational explanation on how he managed to get to Hiyal. Butrus takes it as a sign the Loregiver is taking care of him.

Saying the Loregiver has watched over all of them to get them to their destination, Butrus asks how everyone is doing. Gra'bir says they are well, but M'Balz clarifies that Adanband must have angered the fates. Butrus asks if the elf went overboard as well, but the rogue says he ended up in the belly of a giant.

M'Balz points out that Adanband gave his life to try and get Butrus back to this city and passive-aggressively tells him not to feel any guilt about that. Butrus notes that M'Balz likely doesn't feel any.

Gra'bir hands the fisherman a copper for his troubles. The man still grumbles about the hole in his net, but nods in appreciation. M'Balz briefly considers trying to cut the fisherman's purse, but thinks better of it.

Agreeing the dwarf needs cleaned up, Gra'bir looks around to see where he might do so. He sees little of interest except buildings related to shipping and a flophouse identifying itself as The Rusty Barnacle.

M'Balz is more interested in finding somewhere he can replenish his lost equipment, in particular his arrows. Since there is not a merchant operating on the docks, he finds a nearby mamluk guard and asks him where he might replenish his quiver. The guard holds out his hand after the question is asked and M'Balz drops in a silver dinar.

The mamluk tells him the best arrows in the city are found at a store called The Gilded Lily, found in the Great Suq (the grand bazaar of Hiyal). He points the rogue in the right direction. M'Balz thanks him for his assistance, though internally wonders if he's being had as the name sounds odd for a weaponsmith's shop.

Gra'bir decides to head off with M'Balz while leaving Butrus to clean himself off using the rain barrel outside of the Rusty Barnacle.

*** Session 13 - Scene 2 (of 9) ***

M'Balz quickly makes his way to the Gilded Lily. He finds that it is indeed a weapon shop, though the weapons have many colorful accoutrements.

The burly man behind the counter asks what he wants. M'Balz explains he is looking for a quiver and arrows. The trader says he has the best in town.

The man hands over a finely-embroidered quiver. He offers his wife can stitch M'Balz's monogram on it for no extra cost, but the rogue declines. It becomes clearer why the store is so fanciful.

He then hands over the arrows, which are fletched with the feathers of a pink flamingo. The man explains his wife does the fletching.

M'Balz then asks about exotic weaponry. The man takes out an arming sword of the outlanders; he comments on how it is a crude weapon with its straight blade.

While the trader shows him the weapon, he comments about the increased demand for the weapon by mercenaries lately. Gra'bir prompts for more information, and the man explains they contain both Zakharan and outlander mercenaries who are heading east to join an outlander company. According to the man, an outlander named Admiral Anderson MacCutcheon is said to be coming out of retirement and heading to Ayfal for some reason and many of the mercenaries are hoping to find work as a result of that.

Ultimately, M'Balz decides to go with a scimitar instead. After making that purchase, he asks the man if he's heard of Imam Duha Al-Meha.

The merchant says he is not sure if he has heard of someone with that name, but might if something were to refresh his memory. After M'Balz tosses him a few silver, he does recall someone in the area using the name. The trader says the imam has not been seen in a few weeks.

M'Balz tosses a few more silver the man's way, and he recalls more information. Apparently, the man's wife saw Imam Duha talking with foolish travelers and getting them to pay for false indulgences.

The rogue uses a few more silver to pry from the man that he was seen talking heatedly with a dervish woman and another priest (who appeared to be from the eastern lands of Kara-Tur) shortly before he disappeared.

*** Session 13 - Scene 3 (of 9) ***

Meanwhile, Butrus has finished cleaning himself off at the docks and notices his companions have wandered off. He focuses on looking around, hoping to see something familiar. He is particularly interested to see if he notices any particular temple or minaret.

The dwarf wanders towards the heart of the city, the Great Suq. Before long, he spots M'Balz and Gra'bir purchasing some lamp oil and a rope from a provisions store.

After M'Balz and Butrus exchange some friendly barbs, Gra'bir asks him what he recalls of the area. Butrus says he feels drawn to a particular dark alley off of the Great Suq next to a red brick building.

The three head that way, cautious of any threats. The alley is unoccupied, however, and even with the smoke of the city in the air seems safe enough.

Butrus focuses on a particular section of wall in the alley, which Gra'bir finds odd. M'Balz suggests perhaps the dwarf suffered brain damage. But they are quickly proven wrong when Butrus activates a secret door.

Gra'bir leads the group inside the room beyond. It is a small, dark room and Butrus lights a lamp on a table in the middle of the room. Other than the table and a couple of chairs, the room is empty. Sitting on top of the table is the lamp and a small chest.

The chest appears to be locked. M'Balz offers his services, quickly popping the lock open using his thieves' tools after checking to make sure the chest does not appear locked.

Inside, the chest appears to be filled with various scrolls. Under the scrolls are a pair of gems Butrus quickly palms before M'Balz is able to see them.

Gra'bir gets frustrated, saying he is on a quest for manhood and if all they ever find are papers he does not believe his tribe will bestow him the honor of being a true warrior.

Ignoring the tribesman, Butrus begins looking through the papers. A couple of them are the indulgences he used to sell; they promise forgiveness and eternal life in the heavens for anyone holding them who calls out their true name to the Loregiver.

Mixed in with the indulgences are the forged identity papers for Duha Al-Meha as well as a legitimate set of identity papers for Butrus ibn-Duha. Reading them, Butrus realizes the papers are true and he finally knows his full name.

No great memories flood back into Butrus' mind, but he does get a sudden flash of the temple of Zann the Wise in Hiyal. He decides they should head there next.

Before they go, he explains to M'Balz how the indulgences could be used to get more money but M'Balz finds the idea reprehensible because of the blasphemy involved. Butrus decides to keep one set of the papers just in case as well as his false identity papers and puts the rest back in the chest.

*** Session 13 - Scene 4 (of 9) ***

On the trip to the temple, M'Balz wonders to Gra'bir if they should head to the lands of Kara-Tur for adventure. He watches Butrus carefully to see if he reacts, but the dwarf does not.

Once they arrive, Gra'bir decides to wait outside while Butrus and M'Balz head up to the door. At the door, they are greeted by a young female dervish; she appears a little rough and has clearly grown up a street orphan.

The woman gives her name as Sister Saffanah and asks what their business is. When Butrus starts to explain, she recognizes the dwarf showing surprise he has returned. She says the imam will want to see him and leads them inside to the reception area.

After a moment, a priest emerges; he appears to be originally from Kara-Tur, so M'Balz knows he and Sister Saffanah must be the two people the arrowsmith mentioned.

The priest introduces himself as Imam Dao Ling. Butrus starts to explain about his lost memory, but Dao Ling interrupts him and says he has been expecting him.

The man then utters a single word, "Ouroboros". As soon as Butrus hears the name of the serpent that eats its own tail, his memory instantly returns.

Butrus recalls he grew up impoverished on the streets of Hiyal. As a young man, he joined the priesthood but grew envious at what others had. Eventually, he started using his position as a priest to manipulate others for his own material gain.

Eventually, this lifestyle led Butrus into conflict with elements of the criminal underworld in Hiyal and he was nearly killed. Repentant, Butrus went to his friend Dao Ling for assistance. He in turn brought in the high priest of the temple, Imam Qonta bin Mala, to create a special quest spell that would cause Butrus to lose his memory until he atoned for his misdeeds with charitable works in the name of the Loregiver.

After allowing Butrus a moment to process everything he has recalled, Dao Ling asks him if he feels he has truly atoned.

Butrus tries to answer, saying he has done some good deeds and with his companions has been on many quests to rid evil from the land. However, he notes they are currently unsure of what to do next.

Dao Ling says he has seen visions from the Loregiver of Butrus' coming along with his companions. He tells them they will all be involved in events yet to come related to dark forces gathering around Zakhara. The priest goes on to say there are four threats he has foreseen, one for each of the elements and each powerful enough to bring a time of darkness to the land. He describes the threats as genies gathering in the desert, armies rising from the seas, yak-men with dark gods in the winds, and a powerful sorcerer rising form the flames.

The priest then asks Butrus what he and the others know of these threats. M'Balz thinks of the yak-man Alknar and Butrus can think only of Kazaam but notes he is not an evil genie. However, both of them seem to vaguely recall someone mentioning something about four great threats in a similar manner, but it was apparently so long ago they no longer remember anything about it.

After M'Balz and Butrus try in vain to remember anything about the four threats, Dao Ling tells them the temple may be able to help them in their travels but will need something in return. He explains they've had problems lately with the Beggar King growing in power.

Butrus recalls the Beggar King (also called by some the Beggar Caliph) to be a secretive boss of organized crime in Hiyal. Dao Ling explains he has been investigating the man for the last several weeks and has uncovered his true name, Bah'lain, and that he resides in a labyrinth hidden below the Great Suq.

Uncertain, Butrus asks what they must do with Bah'lain. Dao Ling explains they must go down into the labyrinth and find the Beggar King, and eliminate him. Butrus questions the morality of the plan, but Dao Ling explains Bah'lain is an evil threat and they are allowed to vanquish the wicked; whether they be a beggar king, a monster in a tomb, or a woman who talks back to her husband.

With the clarification it is permitted to do bad things to bad people as long as it is in the name of the Loregiver, Butrus is satisfied. The dwarf tries hinting around they may need some better equipment to go take on the Beggar King, but Dao Ling explains that part of the challenge is they must make sacrifices.

Dao Ling then casts a quest spell on Butrus and M'Balz. M'Balz shakes off the effect, but Butrus does not. He feels compelled to go find the labyrinth and eliminate Bah'lain.

M'Balz is annoyed by the attempt to cast a spell on him. He begins telling the imam about how the last spell caused Butrus to have some unfortunate incidents with farm animals when they found him. Dao Ling says the Loregiver will judge all accordingly, though notes that anyone lying with an animal would be stoned to death. Butrus just gives M'Balz an annoyed look.

Butrus wants to know if they have any more information on Bah'lain, but the priest knows little more than he already said. They will have to find the entrance on their own. The dwarf also wants to know how they can keep in contact with Dao Ling without bringing back any trouble from the underworld to the temple. The priest explains that Sister Saffanah is a master of disguise and can find them when needed.

*** Session 13 - Scene 5 (of 9) ***

When they emerge, Butrus tells the story of his background to Gra'bir and how he is on a quest to rid the city of Bah'lain. M'Balz cracks a few jokes about all the "honesty bursting forth" from Butrus while Gra'bir approves of the quest as it means they will not be hunting paper.

Butrus also discusses the four threats that Dao Ling warned them about to Gra'bir. The tribesman also finds them vaguely familiar, as if he had heard them before but didn't really pay attention enough to remember them. But it does sound like a mighty quest of vanquishing evil so it excites him.

M'Balz makes a sardonic comment about living to vanquish evil. Gra'bir tells his friend he knows he is only after the treasure, but for himself the action is the reward; though he still wants his cut of the loot.

The more they think about the four threats, the more they think they heard about it on the docks somewhere. Butrus recalls it was somewhere that was a "dumpy shithole", but admits that hardly narrows it down.

M'Balz wonders if it was Jess, but Butrus believes it was a woman. The dwarf thinks it was Daria but Gra'bir thinks it was an older woman; he wonders if it was the old woman at the brothel, but that doesn't make sense since they didn't meet her at the docks. M'Balz has a breakthrough, recalling it was at Star's Hollow; he remembers her name was Mashira, the hakima.

Leaving the matter to the side for the moment, Butrus focuses on how they can find the Beggar King. Gra'bir finds the answer obvious – they must find the entrance to the labyrinth below the city.

Butrus heads them back to the Great Suq, where they can find the black market. M'Balz wonders if they can sell the indulgences to make contact with someone who knows the location of the labyrinth entrance.

Heading into a coffee shop, Butrus sees the usual crowd of rough-looking individuals. Across the room, he spots someone he knows; an orc named Brull. Butrus sends him over a drink.

Brull comes over to say hello, greeting Butrus as "Duha". Butrus explains his companions are "friends of the cause" and Brull greets them, giving his full name as Butrus Al-Lornac. M'Balz gives his name as Ra'uf Al-Man'ne. Gra'bir gives his actual name; Brull recognizes him as one of the desert people but is unfamiliar with the Wah'na Poq-Ya tribe.

Butrus tells Brull he is back in town looking for some action, and he and his companions are looking for a job. When Brull asks what they had in mind, M'Balz drops the name of the Beggar King. Brull asks what he knows, but when M'Balz admits he knows very little the orc tells him it is unwise to throw the name around. Butrus explains his companions are new to town, but will learn.

Brull suggests they head back to the gambling hall to speak with his cousin, Chorgan.

*** Session 13 - Scene 6 (of 9) ***

They find the hall to be a half-filled warehouse with a group of men throwing dice. Chogan Al-Lornac greets his cousin and asks him to have his companions introduce themselves.

Butrus gives his name as "Chub", which Chorgan finds funny. In contrast, he just finds M'Balz's fake name to be odd. When Gra'bir gives his full name and tribal association, Chorgan explains he once knew a man from that tribe, named Bi'gus Dik'us. Gra'bir assures him he was a mighty warrior.

Once the greetings are over, Butrus explains to Chorgan he is looking for work. The orc explains he and his boys are also always looking for work, and they laugh. Butrus says he wants work with a quick reward. Chorgan says a quicker reward is always best, "or at least that's what I tell my wife." Butrus laughs along with the others, saying he's sure Chorgan's wife always gets it in the end.

Just then, Gra'bir spots a figure emerging out of the darkness near Chorgan. The fast-moving blur appears to be feminine.

Gra'bir immediately throws a dagger, striking the woman in the side. The woman drops a dagger held in her own hand as she falls to the ground.

Everyone readies their weapons. Butrus puts his mace up to her face; he sees she is an elf. M'Balz gets an arrow ready, and does Gra'bir.

The elf woman starts to stand up and reaches for her dagger. Butrus smashes his mace into her. The blow doesn't seem to stop her so M'Balz moves in to grab her dagger.

Standing up, the elf starts towards M'Balz to grab the dagger. M'Balz responds by thrusting it into her chest. Stabbed through, she says something about "failure" and falls over dead.

Taking a second, M'Balz realizes she is strangely dressed; possibly the same strangely-dressed elf woman mentioned by the courier. He starts looking through her clothes.

Meanwhile, Chorgan is demanding to know what is going on. Butrus says she is an assassin, obviously trying to kill them all. He starts rambling on about how the Loregiver has protected him and how his warrior companions through great skill and strength have saved the life of the orc.

M'Balz finds some identity papers on the woman. Chorgan wants to know who the woman was. M'Balz says the papers give her name as Yuta Al-Tralesta.

Chorgan is confused; his clan was once at war with the Tralestas back in their original homeland of the Ruined Kingdoms, but the Al-Tralesta clan was wiped out by the Al-Lornac clan over a century ago (long before they migrated to Hiyal). Butrus and M'Balz posit that at least one of them appears to have survived.

Agreeing the woman was clearly sent to assassinate him for revenge, Chorgan grants Butrus any boon he wishes. Butrus says he wishes to find the Beggar King. Chorgan says he can show him the entrance to the underground labyrinth, but it will be up to them from there.