Discipline of Black Magic: Caravan Trails

[Vardaen]

"There is danger in relying on prophecy, but there is more in fulfilling it."
- Enala
Today...

The Lord Sun, the Usuper of Shilah, the Treader of the Heavens, the Watchful Eye has risen high and fast this morning. The heat of the Burning Sands is ever hot, but today promises to be more so than normal. Many tales are woven into a single carpet on this day. A tale that was started years ago reaches a new chapter, and this scribe is happy to begin the telling of it.

They appear as a tiny dot on the horizion to the east. Small wagons rolling forward through the sand they slowly grow larger and larger. The shimmering heat that radiates up from the sand stands like a ghost between the ruins north of Medinaat al-Salaam and the tired and hot caravans.

Only one man stands in the shade of a broken wall watching and gazing eastwards. At his side a slender and attractive blue skinned Jinn, barely dressed with sheer veils and silks, is his companion. It seems like hours before the caravan of half a dozen wagons is only a hundred yards away.

Camels pull the wagons drapped in various red and yellow decorative cords, the howdahs of the camels each bare a rider, men of Medinaat al-Salaam, men that bare no marks of their affiliations to the various power groups within the city. The camels fight against the sand and the wheels that roll forward.

With a snort the lead camel slows to a craw now onlyl a few dozen feet from Emir Al'Azzam. The woman atop the camel raises a hand, "Konichiwa Effendi! I come from afar awayland, baring items of great importance. You then are the man I am to meet?" She is more stating a fact than asking a question, her accent is thick, and obvious. This one woman is different from the others. Her skin tone is dark yes, but her eyes are more almond shaped than you would expect, and she wears a white loose turban style wrap around her bald head that does not seem in fashion with any style you have ever known of. She holds herself like a warrior, prepaired to strike. "I am known as Asami from where I come from. What name is yours?"

Welcome

Welcome to the thread that will collect the solos into one main storyline. With the Rolling Thunder approach that AEG used to release the game, so will this thread collect people from their solos. This thread will remain focused on Asami and the Caravans, so as you come in contact with them, you'll join this thread and hopefully stay there.

You'll noticed this is "Today" the active and most recent timeline. The other threads continue to take place previous to this date. (which I don't really know yet!)

You'll also maybe wonder who is Asami? Well I think you remember her don't you?

We start with Nate!

[Nate]

"I am." Emir replies, nodding to the woman a bit thrown off not knowing the first word the woman had spoken. "And my name is Emir, Emir Al'Azzam Quabal Sahir, and summoner of Jinn."

"My Friend here shall be assisting me in getting the cargo into Medinaat al-Salaam." He continues motioning to the Jinn beside him.

He waits patiently for the woman to continue assuming she's the one in charge of the shipment. Though it wouldn't surprise him if she was the second in command, and the leader of the caravan was one of the drivers.

[Vardaen]

The bald woman hops down from the caravan, "Good. Have you water for me to drink?" Her accent continues to be obvious. "We have come long way, and this place is hot." She draws a small silk fan from her belt and fans it before her face. Looking back at the others they are pausing to drink from skins they have as well. The wagons contain dozens and dozens of boxes stamped with a foriegn mark. Its impossible to tell that the symbol means "Rice" as Emir does not know the langauge they are writen in.

[Nate]

"I do." Emir replies turning to the container left behind by Hadi and removing one of the water skins from there.

Turning around he tosses the bag to the woman before beginning to pry as to where she, and the cargo is from. "You must be from farther away than I had originally thought. It is foolish to walk these sands without water... And most in my position would charge you a hefty sum for half that much."

[Vardaen]

Asami smiles, "We have water. Fools you are not dealing with." She drinks down all of the water in the man's skin, "Now, you would have to pay us to drink from our skins?" She tosses back the empty skin at the man's feet. "Your betters have not told you where we come from? Interesting." She moves a piece of garment to show a small circular design on her kimono of a Spider. "I am from Rokugan." She covers the spider mon back up and watches the man for a reaction.

[Nate]

"I still have my own water." Emir replies smiling back. "Only a true fool would give someone the last of theirs out here."

Emir notes the womans symbol, and nods. Unfamiliar with the land she's from, and what the symbol she bared the mans face doesn't reveal much of a response. The only thing he seemed to notice about the exchange is that the woman seems overly proud of the symbol she for some reason sees the need to cover up.

"I can't say I'm familiar with Rokugan, nor the people from there." The Sahir replies. "I would assume the cargo you need taken into the city is from there as well." he states almost as much as asks.

OOC

I am guessing that Emir would know what Rokugan is, though not know much about it, including it's clans...

That's only an assumption though.

[Vardaen]

OOC

Your assumptions are correct. The events around the Awakening timeperiod, the Scorpion Clan and Moto that lived here/live here certainly makes everyone in the Burning Sands aware of Rokugan. But who the Spider are, no, you wouldn't know that.

Asami nods, "Yes, I bring the.... items, that were agreed upon between your Master Saleh and Daigotsu-sama. I understand you have a way to disguise them from your guards?"

[Nate]

"No, I do not have a way to alter their appearance myself." Emir replies. "I however do have the power to summon an incredibly powerful Jinn to complete the task for me." He states motioning to the Jinn standing to his side.

"If for some reason the Guards at the gates seem not to be convinced by the illusion I will have my companion perform. I'll be perfectly capable of convincing them otherwise."

[Vardaen]

Asami nods, "Hai!" She waves the wagons into the ruins, "My Daimyo told us to no arrive until the sun was setting. We are ahead up schedule." She steps into the shade of some of the broken stone walls. "We wait here then." She can't help but look the Jinn up and down, "What manner of Oni are you?"

The Jinn of Broken Dreams snorts, "I am a Jinn, one of the Smokeless Fire, the First Born, do not talk to me so flippantly woman." The Jinn touches Emir's shoulder and floats off into the ruins to await the time to act leaving Emir with the Spider Woman.

[Nate]

"I would not advise angering a Jinn." The Sahir states knowing too well the destructive power the creatures can have. "Especially that one, I've heard she has a nasty habit of ruining your plans if angered."

"Thankfully she is already bound to assist in getting your cargo into the city, so for now there aren't any concerns with her."

Emir moves to sit down as well in some of the shade provided by the ruins and pulls out his own water bottle taking a small drink as he waits for the time to pass.