"The Seven Voyages of Sinbad,""Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves,""Aladdin and His Magic Lamp" -- these and other classics fill the pages of the Arabian Nights. Each story is told by a very wise and beautiful young woman called Scheherazade, who reveals them night after night to a king with a murderous heart. The first of the thousand-and-one tales is Scheherazade's own...the last may be yours. Join the adventure in a land of sultans, genies, and desert nomads as we explore the world of Zakhara, The Land of Fate. (A vWorld Expansion)
Here is a little mood music to set the tone Mood Music
Here begins the adventure of Bashir min-Suha throughout Zakhara the Land of Fate. This is a solo adventure for Trogdor that will eventually interweave into the Thousand and One Adventures plot line.
It is night time in Zakhara, the sky a blanket of black dotted with thousands of stars streched across it. We begin our tale on the Isle of Serenity, Suha in the eastern reaches of Al-Qadim, within the Crowded Sea. Remnants of the ancient kingdoms of old still linger here as they do on the mainland north of Dihliz the Gateway City. Nog and Kadar fell into decline centuries ago with the arrival of The Loregiver and the Enlightened Gods. Still even after all those years there are some that still practice the old ways, some that remember Nog and honor it with their tradition rituals. Here on Sahu is a small collection of those men and woman living in isolation around The Lake of the Winter Spirits. Among those men is Bashir min-Suha, a young mystic that is proving himself daily among his peers. The young man has even traveled down into villages on the coasts such as Jinutt and Misbahd to test himself.
Tonight however, under the blanket of stars a small band has gathered to watch the sky and learn from the great astronomer Abdul-Tawwab min-Sahu. Adbul-Tawwab has just begun to set up his telescopes and astrolabs with the help of his grandaughter Farah bint Essam bin Abdul-Tawwad min-Suha. Half a dozen others from the small monastary of the Lake of Winter Spirits have gathered. Some come for the lesson out of curiousity, others for greather understanding, but all come with great respect. Among them is Bashir mingling. There is soft conversation, and great excitement among the youths. One, Hani, is friend to Bashir and stands smiling to the other man. "Ah an excellent night for stargazing. Not a cloud in the sky..." he looks up into the darkness that is the dome above and smiles, the young man always seeming to be happy about everything.
Trogdor welcome to your Solo. We will move things along and weave you into the main story eventuall. Please, only Trogdor post to this thread. Welcome!
"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring
"œIndeed," replies Bashir, 'œwe can hope that Abdul-Tawwab will be able to learn much from what he sees.' The young mystic gazes upwards as he speaks. 'œAnd we can hope that those of us gathered here may gain some wisdom by standing in the shadow of his understanding.' Bashir's demeanor as he speaks is distant, though Hani knows that this is not due to any callousness on his part, but rather a keen dedication to his studies. Despite his friend's innocuous appearance, Hani understands that Bashir is nevertheless one of the more promising students at the monastery.
At first glance, Hani's friend strikes a far from impressive pose. Standing half a head shorter than most of those gathered, Bashir draws little attention. With his thin physique and clean-shaven face, a casual observer might easily mistake him for an older boy still a few years shy of manhood. And his knee-length tan trousers, loose white shirt, and leather slippers might just as well be worn by a local farmer or laborer as a Mystic from the local monastery.
But a more careful look at Bashir will put an end to that first impression. His blue eyes, a color uncommon enough to warrant comment, seem to take in sights of which most men are unaware. His body seems poised for action, like a tiger preparing to pounce. And to anyone with the slightest sensitivity, his very being seems to radiate a subtle magical power. In addition, to those familiar with the Mystics of Nog '€" an ever decreasing number, to be sure '€" his pale green sash gives the greatest indication of his true potential. Within the Mystics of Nog, such as sash declares Bashir to be an initiate of the fourth circle '€" an impressive achievement for one who has not yet reached his second decade of life.
For a slow count of twenty Bashir watches the sky. He knows from his mystical studies that the constellations hold great secrets. He also knows that to one as skilled in reading them as Abdul-Tawwab, they can be a great source of power. But he regognizes that astronomy is not where his talents lie. For he has devoted his life to the teachings of the Mystics of Nog, an order dating back to long before the coming of the Loregiver. Unlike conventional magical traditions, the Mystics study how magical power can be focused inward to strengthen the flesh of its wielder. Unfortunately, this unique magical tradition was in real danger of dying out.
As Bashir draws his gaze down from the sky, he glances back at the ancient stone buildings that serve as the center of the monastery. Once this was one of the smallest of the outposts that the Mystics of Nog controlled. It was a retreat for those Mystics who craved a period of solitude. For at that time, the Mystics were still a force to be reckoned with, a band of warriors greatly respected throughout the ancient empire of Nog. Now things were much different. Now, Bashir considers, this is one of the order's greatest bastions. How far they had fallen. For with only a few hundred Mystics remaining, the nearly three score living and studying here represent a significant portion of the entire order. And with each passing generation there were fewer and fewer Mystics. How long before they disappeared forever?
With these heavy thoughts on his mind Bashir glances back at Hani. Not surprisingly, the young man maintains his smile as he looks cheerfully around at the gathered astronomical equipment, the stars above, and even the pretty face of Farah bint Essam as she assists her grandfather. Unconsciously a smile begins to form on Bashir's face. Truly not all lessons worth learning are taught by the Mystics, he thinks. For one of the greatest lessons I have learned these past years has been from Hani. Bashir shakes himself from his incipient bout of melancholy and turns to face his friend. I have learned to enjoy what Fate has provided me, and not to simply exist.
'œA beautiful night indeed, Hani,' Bashir says in a more down-to-earth tone than his previous comments. 'œBut which stars are you thinking of gazing at '€" the ones up there,' he gestures at the sky, 'œor the ones in Farah's eyes?' He pokes Hani in the ribs with his elbow and gives his friend a playful smirk.
Bit of a long post. But I wanted a proper establishing shot for Bashir.
Nice post! I will almost never complain about long posts. I like'em
Hani continues his plucky smile, "Well, do not shame me effendi, my thoughts are on the stars in the sky, not the diamonds in Farah's eyes." He winks at his friend as he mills about the clearing looking up into the sky and the stars above.
After ten more minutes of set up the Astromoner is ready. The old man begins his lecture to the gathered group. He speaks about the power of the stars, of one's sign in the zodiac, and how those truely wise can even re arange the stars, or hang spells from them to draw power from them later. The lecture is most informative, and entertaining, the old man has the skills of a rawun in telling of his tales, but from time to time Hani spares a look at the Astromoner's granddaughter.
The time comes where Abdul-Tawwab lets each person take a look through his glass. Many of those here have never seen a telescope, let alone view the stars or moon through it. Each takes turns as Abdul-Tawwab explains what you are looking at, "Here is Hajama the Courageous, you can see his scimitar that hangs from his sash." He adjusts the scope and begins to tell another tale, "And here is Jisan the Bountiful, Jisan of the Floods, see the wave that crosses her hair..." This goes on for a moment longer and then he resets the telescope and Bashir's turn comes up again. Hani is busy looking at Farah as Bashir is even the scope.
"What you are looking at now is known only as The Lost, some refer to it as Afyal the Elephant, but that name is incorrect and used only by those without true wisdom. Yes, the name is the same as the one given our sister islan to the north, Afyal. If you look hard you may see that the stars form both a trunk, and legs, a constelation of the elephant." The old astromoner lets Bashir look up in the sky for a long moment...pausing to speak more as the youth is gazing skywards.
"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring
Bashir maintains a respectful silence before the learned astronomer, watching the constellation of The Lost as it rises in the east. Now that Abdul-Tawwab had provided a starting point, he could see clearly that The Lost was formed in the shape of an elephant. But as had so often happened during his studies, Bashir finds that this crumb of knowledge only makes him hunger for more. He now finds himself burning with questions. Why is it called 'The Lost,' he wonders. Is it the symbol of some lost god? For certainly many of the other constellations are representations of the gods. Where was it lost from? Or was it lost by someone? And why was it in the shape of an elephant? Such things did not happen by chance. Certainly the most obvious connection was to Afyal, also known as the Isle of the Elephant. That could easily explain why many mistakenly call it 'Afyal the Elephant.' But if it's shape does not indicate a direct connection to Afyal, he considers, does it indicate a more tenuous connection? Or does it represent a connection with elephants themselves rather than the island or the kingdom that took them as their representative?
I assume I can take 10 with Knowledge: Geography (Result = 15) to know that Afyal is called 'The Isle of the Elephant.'
Standing quietly Bashir longs for the chance to ask his questions. But he observes that Abdul-Tawwab has not finished talking. And to iinterrupt the astronomer when he was so graciously allowing Bashir to share his studies would be a terrible insult. Bashir knows that he must wait until the old man has finished his impromptu lecture before he can burden the astronomer with his questions.
Bashir will consider what Abdul-Tawwab is doing. Can he determine whether he using magic (e.g., divination, drawing power, etc.) in what he's doing now? (Spellcraft 12 or Knowledge: Arcana 10) This is mostly idle curiosity, so taking 10 is probably appropriate here too.
You know the names of the major cities and landmarks in the general area.
Abdul-Tawwab has so far shown no arcane powers coming to light as he speaks of the stars and the heavens. He can tell that Bashir is full of questions, but he points up at the Elephant. "Let me bring this one to light." He speaks a few arcane words, and asjusts the astrolab at his side. With a finger pointing at the sky he draws lines between the stars. Amazingly, actual lines apear in the sky overhead! Playing connect the dots, he traces a line through the various stars drawing the form of an elephant. All the 'students' give a round of applause, and call out in various words of shock and awe. "Oh my!" "Stunning!" "By the Loregiver!"
Even Hani is forced to look up as Abdul-Tawwab speaks, "Questions?"
Spellcraft: "1", 11 Total. Gah. The Astromoner is useing some rare mystical power!
A note, if I place a number in "" such as "1" that means the roll was a natural 1 (before mods). I do this for Criticals and Fumbles.
"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring
"Yes, learned one," Bashir says with a bow. "I would ask you some questions." He pauses for only a moment before moving straight into his querey. "Why is it called 'The Lost' ...?" His intention is to keep his questioning short. But, alas, his natural inquisitiveness pushes him forward and before long he finds that he has asked all of the questions that he had silently formed, ending with his conjecture about elephants in general. "My apologies, sir," he hastily adds, "If I am impertinent with the scope of my questions."
As to the '1', that's part of the reason I said that taking 10 would be a good idea. I wasn't looking for a great deal of information, just a general clue about whether magic was in use. In that case, I figured a 20/22 would give me all I needed. (Also, not that it'd help with a natural '1', but wouldn't his result be 13 since he has the +2 synergy bonus from Knowledge: Arcane?)
As the rules say: "in most cases, taking 10 is purely a safety measure '€"you know (or expect) that an average roll will succeed but fear that a poor roll might fail, so you elect to settle for the average roll (a 10)."
My mistake on the math, and I must have missed the Taking Ten bit as well. That's what I get for posting from work.
Take Ten: The result isn't much different, he's using some arcane powers (class power), but not a spell. Drawing on ancient powers of Nog. I picture him a mix of the recent Astromoner Class from the Dragon Magazine, and a conversion of the Astronomer from the Complete Sha'ir's Handbook 2nd Ed
"Ah, why." The old man points at the elephant drawn in the sky, that still holds the wrap attention of nearly everyone. "Why is the most powerful of questions. Why does the camel have a hump? Why do the sea breezes blow west to east? Why is this named The Lost?" He tucks his hands inside the sleaves of his aba, they vanish inside material as he continues to look up as well. "I have learned that it is called The Lost because long ago, in ancient times, when Nog and Kadar were still in their prime an unenlightened god came out of the wild lands to the east. This god was lost, he was lost to his people and his worshipers, lost in a new land filled with other gods and other powers. But his image was hung in the sky to light the way for his followers to find him, should they ever come to seek him out...."
He is about to say more when suddenly Bashir, looking the telescope sees the strangest of sights. From out of the center of collection a glow begins. The glow of white turns saphirre blue, as nice shooting stars, like nine sapphires streak out of the night sky racing across the heavens.
Everyone gasps as the nine falling stars blaze across the nighttime sky, and Abdul himself cries out to the Loregiver!
"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring
Bashir considers the falling stars with a grave look on his face. "A powerful omen," he says in a hushed voice, "though I'm no astronomer, to say more. For that we must rely on your wisdom, learned one." He bows to Abdul-Tawwab, though he never takes his eyes away from the last glow of the falling stars.
"But one thing is clear," he adds in a solemn tone. "Fate has called us here to see this portent. That so wise and clever an astronomer as you," he gestures at Abdul-Tawwab, "should be here with your devices so carefully prepared and focused on The Lost at just this time and place cannot be chance. We would be wise to pay heed to the warning Fate has given us."
"Learned one," he says reverently, "can you read what this fiery omen means?"
The nine falling saphirres scream across the night sky moving from east to west until they fall from view far to he western horizon. Bashir watches them through the telescope as the hushed awe comes over the others. "My liver! It is The sign, not just a sign." He is standing stunned a moment until the words of Bahir stir him from his silence. "Yes, it is fortunate that we were here looking up into the heavens. It can mean only one thing." He looks from the sky to the north horizon, as if gazing across the entire island of Sahu and out across the ocean to the mainland where Nog once stood.
His voice changes, it grows cold and fearful, and he shudders as if chilled. In an somber voice he speaks as if reciting some verse of song better left unsung, "The nine-fold stars have fallen! Waken, Lions of Tomorrow, for the gates of Tadabbur are thrown open."
Knowledge: Geography - Tababbur, you don't know this place.
"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring
Bashir nods solemnly at the astronomer's words, even as a look of bewilderment crosses his face. 'œTruly we must act as you think best, for yours is the greatest understanding of this great omen '€" may the wisdom of Zann the Learned come down upon you.' He makes a gesture of piety with one hand.
'œBut wise one,' he continues, 'œI fear my meager studies cannot compare to your great knowledge. I know not of the Lions of Tomorrow and the gates of Tadabbur. Are they a part of the history of Nog that I have yet to learn?' He gestures to the north. 'œI note you looked towards those lands when you spoke.'
Any chance that Knowledge: History (Skill Mod=6) or Knowledge: Religion (Skill Mod=5) will give me a clue about either the Lions of Tomorrow or the gates of Tadabbur?
