The ages passed, crushing with their invisible feet the feeble acts of the civilizations, and the goddess of Love and Beauty left the country.
A strange and fickle goddess took her place. She destroyed the magnificent temples of the City of the Sun and demolished its
beautiful palaces. The blooming orchards and fertile prairies were laid waste, and nothing
was left in that spot save ruins commemorating to the aching souls the ghosts of Yesterday,
reputing to the sorrowful spirits only the echo of the hymns of glory.
- Khalil Gibran, from "Ashes of the Ages and Eternal Fire" Welcome fair traveler to the 8th of the wonderous tales of our fair heroes we have come to know as the Lions of Tomorrow. Having left Dhiliz the Gateway City under the rich guidance of Bassam Reehan, the true father of Kasib Ubadha Reehan the group traveled by ship "The Lucky Mermaid" Captained by a man name Dabir to the Isle of Afyal, The Isle of the Elephant. Facing pirates and local dangers our heroes scaled the southern cliffs and entered the deep jungle. The group soon made contact with the local creatures that give the island its name, the elephants. These pacyderms turned out to be no mere animals, but intelligent beasts, agents of the Mahasarpan Deva known as The Lost One Afyal. After a night of naked revelry honoring the Elephant Deva by carving, singing, and dancing, the group was escorted by the elephants to the ancient ruins known as Al-Assir.
These ruins were once a stronghold of the faithful of Suhail min Zann built centuries ago. The Lions of Tomorrow battled the inhabitants of the ruins, giants, cloakers, Ghuls, spiders and other beasts and traps left behind to protect the history of the Imam and his followers. The heroes discovered the hidden chamber below the ruins, and passed into The Mists of Ignorance breaking the curse that laid on Jabiir and shattering the Disk that had lead them this far. Beyond the mist, in the most secret chamber the group recovered Breaker of the Ninth Chain a scimitar of holy power as well as a great tome "The Lions of Tomorrow" that can guide them in their fight against the Geomancers.
During the battles one of their own fell in battle, Rambad the Ghulslayer was killed by a henious trap and the rest of the party nearly fell pray to the Efreet guading one other chamber (inside of which scrolls and magical items were discovered).
Seeking to bring their friend back from the dead, and needing an escort off the isle the group approached the waiting elephants at the edge of the ruins. Once the ruin was cleansed by Sayyid, and the entrance sealed with a great tree, the group packed camp and set out...
Late Afternoon, Dar 13, Year 592 of the Grand Caliph
For the last three days and and three nights you have traveled with the great elephants of Afyal through the jungles of the island steadily moving northwards. and eastwards. The travel as been slow going, the herd moves at a pace set by themselves and it forces you all to move at their pace. The days are warm and bright, but the shade from the jungle canopy makes the travel comfortable for everyone. Rambad's body is starting to attract flies, but his Hama's presence chases them and other carrion eaters away.
During your trip you have had plenty of time to idenitfy the relics found in the ruins, and to have sorted them out among yourselves. Your wounds have been cured, and the Ghul Fevor has run its course in many of you. Also during this time each person has in turn, either while riding or in camp taken time to read the scrolls found for each of you. The scrolls are a collection of twenty one pages, and while the cover page appears fairly generic once you begin reading further you find that each is very different.
It would appear that the scrolls are writen for you, speficically, atleast that's the feeling you get when finsihed reading them. Each scroll set explores your inner most fears, your doubts, and your past sins. Among the group of heroes there is only one single person that is free of a sinful past. Some sins are more obvious, such as the drinking womanizing Rawun, but others are more personal, and deeper and darker. One among you worked for a vile man, and because of a sense of duty ignored what he knew was was wrong until reaching his breaking point and began to set things right. Another among the group lived as a thief and a liar, forced to live such because of his family life and simply to survive. Another was born a barbarian and spent years of his life worshiping unenlightned gods until he saw the light. Another hides an even deeper secret, one that has not come to light among the Lions of Tomorrow, an apathy of inaction that caused the death of so many innocent people. And the last among you was a pirate and a corsair, an outlaw who battled against the lawful slave ships of the Mamluks. However, even with such dark sinful pasts, the scrolls speak to your good, they wipe away your fear and your doubts, they confirm your choices to travel the good enlightned road. The scrolls' words are directed at you peronally, they convince you of the path you are on is righteous and most of all that you are worthy of that path. They show you the complicated threads of the tapestry of life and how all those things from your history, as terrible as they are, lead you to the completion of your Fate and to you role as a Lion of Tomorrow and a Champion of Zann.
For the last hour no one has spoken. You sit on the back of an elephant as it moves along one trail onto another. As you travel you have seen many trails joining a larger one, and your herd has trippled in size as more and more elephants seem to be migrating to The Meeting Place along with yours. The afternoon is grown late, and evening is starting to arrive. The herd seems to be perking up, and picking up speed as you near your destination.
