Karnak Campaign - Desert Lands

960927          The Scarred Man

Almazur.
Having reached Almazur and received at the College directions to the home of Jafar, the retired wizard, as well as a warning that he was not particularly lucid, the Party makes its way thence.

The area is one of decayed gentility and there is no doorman at the house of Jafar. When no one answers Shadya's knock, Nasir notes a face in a window above and, although that personage initially denies being present, the Party's good manners persuade him to admit them.

They are served mid-day refreshments in a nicely maintained patio garden by invisible servitors. The Party maintains its poise nevertheless, and Jafar obliges them in their request to learn of his researches concerning the Well of Al Arzum, a name that causes some eyes to glitter with dreams of riches and hearts to tremble with the fear of dragons.

Jafar's surmises:

• The monkey Ookie had a shield against certain magic.
• The shield was not reliable. [Gave pluses to saving throw?]
• No other creature with this magic aura has been found, therefore its permanence was an unusual feature, whatever its source.
• Ookie was a common monkey, not unusual for the area in which he was found. Thus it is unlikely that his power was innate or that he came from a far distance wherein he acquired his power.

• Ookie's power came from misfired magics due to overlapping spells, similar to what might happen when multiple potions are ingested together.
• This power was acquired by one - or multiple - drinks from the Well of Al Arzum, as established by a "speak with animals" spell used between Jafar and Ookie.
• There is a large rock pile in the vicinity of the mines of Al Arzum composed of rocks too large for modern technology to have used in building. It is not clear whether this is natural or a product of a culture from long before the time of the Desert Peoples. Ookie found his way through this pile almost directly to the Well.
• The Well itself was no built but was found when the mines were established, leading credence to the theory that it and the rock pile may have been constructed thousands of years ago. Further knowledge of same may still exist in the libraries of Al Arzum.

As the Party makes its thanks, Jafar recalls something. He eventually returns to gift them each with a crystal that he says will, when held in the mouth, conceal their scent from the dragon. Shadya acknowledges the magnificence of the gift and Jafar shoos them out.

As they make their way back through town, they pass through the marketplace where Nasir spots a man he claims is a thief. When the accused runs, Fiamma uses her bardic voice to encourage the townspeople to stop and hold him. She rewards his captors with a few coins and Shadya takes over intimidating their captive.

Nasir claims that once upon a time his father's sword was stolen from him. When Nasir found the sword in a pawnbroker's shop, the name given as the pawner was the name this captive acknowledges as his own. Nasir knew him to have been staying at the caravansary the night the sword was taken. The captive denies knowledge of the sword. Shadya, learning from Nasir that the pawnbroker's shop is in Almazur, determines to take their captive thence for identification. Nasir proudly leads the way and even the town guards refrain from interfering.

The pawnbroker establishes that this Hassim (the captive) is not the man who left the sword (and Hassim's name). The man is described as large, intimidating, scarred on the face and blind in one eye. Fiamma asks if he has six fingers, to the puzzlement of all, and refers to a story she knows. The captive Hassim recognizes the description as that of the man from whom he won 500 dinars at cards in the caravansary 3 years ago. It is established that the sword was pawned for 500 dineras the following day.

Although she wants to buy Nasir's sword back for him, 500d far exceeds Shadya's purse. 500 dinars is a princely sum, enough that Hassim could have lived well for a year had he been careful, or used to considerably better his state were ge clever. It would seem that he is neither. The pawnbroker establishes that it is even more valuable than that: it glows with magic. Orlando notes and Fiamma recognizes elvish script engraved upon it. The pawnbroker says he will hold the sword until Nasir and the scarred man can establish true ownership. Shadya promises that it will be done.

The Party leaves town.

Nasir tells some of his background. He does not know how his father came by such a sword. His father and mother both died when armed men invaded their home almost 3 years ago, when he was very small. The person who was left his guardian disappeared with his fee, and Nasir himself lost most of his inheritance thereby, being very young and unguarded. Shadya declares herself his guardian.

Their route takes the Party at least partly along the Pilgrims' Road towards Sama, but there are no untoward incidents with pilgrims. Shadya leads the Party through the arroyo desert and they arrive safely at the small town of Shamar. There they are directed to the temple.

The muzzim is at first reluctant to admit to the existence of any of the house of Arzum, claiming that many fortune-hunters have hounded that house - the last being a man with a scarred face and a bad eye. He eventually decides that the Party has different goals and arranges a meeting with the Last of the Arzum. He says they may make their questions from a room adjacent to the one wherein will be the Arzum and that they must not look at her. Shadya makes the promise.

The Arzum is a young lady who, when she understands the Party's quest, reveals herself. Shadya turns away. The Arzum releases Shadya from her promise.

The Arzums grandfather escaped the mines. The tale she tells is thus: The dragon came out of the sky at noon, blasting the gate and guard, and flying down the corridor into the main hall. There it destroyed the best of the mine's warriors and two of its wizards. It spat lightning. It left for 1-2 days, ambushing any who tried to escape by the gate. Then it returned and herded the survivors, some into the depths and some into corridors that it sealed. Some of those in the depths are known to have survived. The Arzum's grandfather did not say just how he escaped, but he brought some of the treasure with him; treasure that they have never yet used (not even for her dowry) for fear of either dragon or treasure-hunters. She lives in fear and loneliness due to same.

She says that the creatures of the mine are not all creatures of the dragon although they may be fearsome in their own right. "Beware of anything with scales." Those, presumably, are the dragon's minions. "And take nothing of the treasure there; the dragon knows it to the last copper."

The Arzum would go farther from the dragon's lands if she could, in search of a more normal life. Shadya promises to return if it is possible, implying a willingness to escort the Arzum to a more distant land. (She probably thinks that taking her to Orlando's Arval might suit the purpose just fine ... once Orlando is of a condition to return to Arval.)

The muzzim puts the Party up in the temple, there being no inn in the town. In the evening's hospitality, Shadya encourages the muzzim to speak what more he might know of the scarred man. The muzzim comments that that one "Had not the 'lizard look'," that is, did not appear to be one of the dragon's human minions.

Shadya intends to get Nasir to tell her more about his background following this, but the little boy had fallen asleep. If she has to face the scarred man and Ashar knows what else in Nasir's interest, and if that confrontation might take place while they are also dealing with the dragon, she wants to understand Nasir's part as much as she can.

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