The Land of Fate: Bashir's Tale

[Vardaen]

The two speak about travels and the future, and remain in good spirits into the night eating and laughing around the fire. Morning comes and both wake, having fallen asleep without watch, but nothing seems out of place other than Mina standing over Bashir swishing her tail ready to travel on.

The camp is packed, and the two load up their dwindling supplies. Travel begins with high hopes, and a hot sun. After many hours the Ghost Mountains begin to turn more fully east and then south. the sandy dunes and rolling hills that lead up to the rocky mountain begin to vanish and are replaced by rocky cliffs and steep climbs up. Eventually the hills vanish all together and streching out to the east and north is the Haunted Lands and the Great Anvil. Long ago trade routes came this way between Hiyal or Huzuz, or some other city. Now the routes are changed and pilgrams no longer come here often. In the distance, some many hundred yards away, a small shrine protrudes from the rocky cliffs that rise up the mountain sides.

You have found it, this must be Suhail min Zann's tomb and sepulcher.

[Trogdor]

"At last we've arrived," Bashir says quietly. "I confess after so many days on the trail, I'd started to wonder." He stops and gazes at the crypt for a while, watching the gleam of the sun on the highest spire of the tomb.

"But come," he says, shaking the cobwebs from his head. "Let's not delay the last hundred steps. I'm eager to set down our loads and meet Zayd's brother." He refers to the sibling of the mason wasp that he and Hani had met at the Mosque of the Sacred Fountain in Dihliz, a story he has no doubt relayed to Ahmed on the trail. "I think you'll find simply meeting a mason wasp worth the journey. They're curious creatures."

[eldritchknight]

"Yes, indeed, my friend, let us go," Ahmed says, striding forward eagerly, while keeping a wary eye out for a possible ambush.

"I am indeed looking forward to seeing this mason wasp."

[Vardaen]

Bashir and Ahmed begin the last leg of their trip to the Tomb of Suhail min Zann. Both come for very different reasons, but both have found a friendship in each other dispite that. The shrine that has risen up over the tomb is a simple afair. Sandstone carved out of the living rock of the mountainside. A half dome style roof sits atop a half dozen pillars all of a sandstone hue. The path leading up to the mosque is dotted with very little vegitation, but as you grow closer you notice a small low wall that must be the ring of a well. The shrine, as you get closer, show signs of age. No longer is this on a well traveled trade route, and the thongs of pilgrims is far less than it once was. No doubt few Imam tend to it any more.

About fifty feet out from the wide open arched doorway that leads inside you notice movement within. Suddenly a large wasp, nearly six feet in length, and stripped a pitch black and blood red emerges from the shrine. It takes to the air, the beating of its wings buzzing through the air. It loops around up into the air, circling the pair of men below and slowly makes its way to the ground landing a dozen feet away.

[Trogdor]

Bashir bows low before the mason wasp. "Greetings to you, and the blessings of the Loregiver upon you," he says, touching his hands to his heart, mouth, and forehead in quick succession as he rises from the bow.

"I bring you word from your brother Zayd at the Mosque of the Sacred Fountain in Dihliz." He takes a few steps closer to the crypt's guardian. "And," he drops his pack and reaches inside, "I bring both an offering to the crypt and a gift for you. As he speaks the young mystic pulls a ceramic pot and a soft leather bag.

"For the crypt I offer some of the finest frankincense a poor mystic could afford, that the spirit of Suhail min Zann - may we be blessed by even a shadow of his wisdom - might be honored." He holds out the small bag in one hand.

"For you, I have a pot of red bee honey, which your brother Zayd assures me is a delicacy among your kind, and I believe is quite difficult to obtain in a place such as this." He holds out the ceramic pot in his other hand.

"We also ask that we be allowed to stay at the crypt for a time that we might honor Suhail min Zann, and investigate a prophesy in which he appears."

[Vardaen]

The massive wasp, easily as big as Bashir scampers forward through the sandy earth, its wings buzzing with excitement, and its antene wiggling around its head taking everything in. It is unable to speak, but Bashir knew this would be the case, but it appears it understands. With one segmented leg it reaches out, now only a few feet away, and scrawls on the ground...

Greetings.

Welcome

to

the

Shrine

of

Suhail

min

Zann

Nalv

[Trogdor]

Bashir takes a few more steps forwarrd, once more offerring hsi two gifts to the mason wasp. "Our thanks for your hospitality. We look forward to seeing the shrine and paying our respects to Suhail min Zann."

[Vardaen]

Nalv, the large Mason wasp, nods its own head several times and continues to write in the ground.

I am Nalv.

Your gifts are welcome.

Bring them.

Follow me.


The wasp innwardly is pleased that new pligrams have arrived and ones that know his cousin from Dhiliz. Not all of the wasp's thoughts are translated to the dirt for writing for doing so is tedious and difficult for the insect. Up into the air he lifts himself and buzzes around moving toward the shrine, then back toward he two men, leading you to the door when Nalv sets down and points inside with his stinger, then up again and hovering he floats inside.

[Trogdor]

His head bowed in reverence, Bashir steps into the shrine. He holds the gifts in his hands and awaits further guidance from their host.

[eldritchknight]

Staring at the mason wasp writing in the sand, Ahmed shakes his head.

Ah, the wonders I have seen since leaving Huzuz, he thinks to himself.

He bows his head to the intellegent wasp, and says, "I am Ahmed, come to scatter the ashes of my departed uncle, as was requested in his will, and to pay my respects to Suhail min Zann,"