Yusef #2

[GM Mad]

Yusef #2

"Perhaps," Yusef replies softly. "It does seem to call to me, but I don't believe I'm worthy to bear such a blade. Before I can do so, I need to cut my ties to my father and his family."

"Then I will keep it safe until such time, Yusef," Falawi answers, wrapping up the blade again. He starts to return it to its place, when another thought comes to him. "In our lands, it is not unheard of for such weapons to call out to those it finds worthy to wield it. You may wish to keep that in mind."

"Ah, I'm still realizing just how far we are from the land of my birth," Yusef says apologetically. "How then would I find out about the next ship to one of those cities?"

"A ship from Ajayib comes about once a month. The last was some two weeks ago, so in about two weeks another should arrive. It is always possible that some explorers or other traders may arrive before then."


Yusef browses the market. As he walks around, he notices buying and selling is handled much differently here. Back in Cynalon a price is set for an item and it's up to the buyer to pay it or not. Here, each transaction seems to be a negotiation. The seller will ask for price, the potential buyer counter offers and eventually a final price is agreed upon. This is called 'haggling' by the locals. They seem to greatly enjoy it, as if it was some sort of contest.

Yusef examines the anklets that are available here. Most are of low quality, but there are a few that are golden and bejeweled with low quality gems. The shopkeeper eyes Yusef as he examines the wares.

"No finer quality of jewelry will you find on this island," the shopkeeper boasts. "Why it took much negotiating on my part of bring such high quality items to here. Ah, yes you like this one! You are a man of excellent taste, my friend! This fine beauty can be yours for a mere 60 gold!"


After finishing up his discussion with the jeweler, Yusef becomes aware of a commotion near the wharf. There is a great cry of alarm and it spreads amongst the village. Only snatches of what is transpiring reaches Yusef's ears.

"Invaders are coming to destroy Sams Bandar! Cannibals are coming to feast on the women and children! It is the retribution of the gods for untold sins!"

While still trying to figure out what is going on, the town leader comes up to Yusef once more.

"You, whose heart must surely be brave, protect us from the evil that Fate has allotted us! Take your arms and save our worthless village, in the name of the Loregiver's mercy, and you will be handsomely rewarded!"

It takes more discussion to find out what is really going on. A band of Haifami, the dark skinned humans that live on the southern claw islands, have been spotted. Their canoes have landed outside of town and they are approaching! They'll be here within the hour and the villagers are panicking!


Now what?

[Yusef]

Yusef:

"Then I will keep it safe until such time, Yusef," Falawi answers, wrapping up the blade again. He starts to return it to its place, when another thought comes to him. "In our lands, it is not unheard of for such weapons to call out to those it finds worthy to wield it. You may wish to keep that in mind."

"Yes, I will. Thank you, grandfather." Yusef bows to his grandfather before departing.

"A ship from Ajayib comes about once a month. The last was some two weeks ago, so in about two weeks another should arrive. It is always possible that some explorers or other traders may arrive before then."

"Two weeks? That is good to know, al-Samsi. I will plan for that. Thank you."

Later, Yusef spend some time in the market. It is a fascinating experience, and a couple anklets catch his eye as possible gifts. Noticing his interest, the seller approaches.

"No finer quality of jewelry will you find on this island," the shopkeeper boasts. "Why it took much negotiating on my part of bring such high quality items to here. Ah, yes you like this one! You are a man of excellent taste, my friend! This fine beauty can be yours for a mere 60 gold!"

Yusef's eyes grow wide for a moment, then he recalls what he has seen of this 'haggling' he has seen here. "Ah, it is pretty, my friend, especially considering the quality of materials used, but I fear that such a price is far beyond my meager means. I doubt that I could scrape together more than 10 gold. So sorry to have wasted your time..." Yusef takes a step back as though preparing to turn away.

Some moments later, there is a commotion from the direction of the wharf. People scramble away, crying out in fear. From what he can hear, there is some kind of attacker approaching, but Yusef can make little sense of it in the tumult.

"You, whose heart must surely be brave, protect us from the evil that Fate has allotted us! Take your arms and save our worthless village, in the name of the Loregiver's mercy, and you will be handsomely rewarded!"

al-Samsi continues on the explain that the Haifami - reputed as cannibals, according to Falawi - have landed nearby and are approaching. "I will do what I can, sir. Still, it would be best to prepare the village as best you may."

Yusef returns to his grandparents' home just long enough to retrieve his pouch of steel throwing spikes and reassure them. Then, he departs into the woods in the direction indicated by al-Samsi. Moving with the quietness and surety of purpose of a panther on the hunt, Yusef glides through the foliage listening for the sounds of the invaders.

[GM Mad]

Post Continued

In the bizarre...

Yusef's eyes grow wide for a moment, then he recalls what he has seen of this 'haggling' he has seen here. "Ah, it is pretty, my friend, especially considering the quality of materials used, but I fear that such a price is far beyond my meager means. I doubt that I could scrape together more than 10 gold. So sorry to have wasted your time..." Yusef takes a step back as though preparing to turn away.

"Do not be so hasty, my friend!" The merchant counters. "Sometimes we must sacrifice to gain those things we desire. Ah, yes! I see it in your eyes! It is to be a gift for a lady, I'd wager! Now you wouldn't want to disappoint her, would you? In the name of lovers everywhere, I will generously allow you to have this fine anklet for a mere 50 gold!"


Not long after that a panic strikes the village! The Haifami, dark-skinned humans that live on the islands to south have been spotted outside of town. Al-Samsi begs for Yusef's assistance. Yusef agrees, gathers his weapons, and then moves off to intercept the invaders.


About twenty minutes later, Yusef spots the invaders. As described earlier, they are black skinned humans who are tall and lean. Their attire is simple, typically a single long cloth made of coconut fiber. Each wears a long cloth wrapped about their head to protect them from the heat. An individual near the center of the group has feathers emerging from his headdress. The Haifami number about twenty and they are armed with spears primarily. A lone female is among the group and she has pieces of coral in her headdress.

Upon seeing Yusef, the Haifami procession halts. A single warrior continues to advance wearily towards you. Once close enough, the warrior calls out in ragged Midani.

"I offer you greetings from the great chieftain of the Haifami!"


Now what?

[Yusef]

Yusef:

"Do not be so hasty, my friend!" The merchant counters. "Sometimes we must sacrifice to gain those things we desire. Ah, yes! I see it in your eyes! It is to be a gift for a lady, I'd wager! Now you wouldn't want to disappoint her, would you? In the name of lovers everywhere, I will generously allow you to have this fine anklet for a mere 50 gold!"

"Indeed it is for a lady - a very special one, in truth. Though I myself am a poor man, I feel rich for having met her. It is my goal to find my way back to her, though she is far away from here. In honor of her beauty, I will forego a few meals so that I might save enough to offer you 12 gold for this anklet with the oddly-colored gems."


As Yusef makes his way through the woods, his senses are alert for any sign of the approaching Haifami. It is not long before he encounters them, though he hears them moments before seeing them. Stopping, he waits for them to approach.

They stop upon seeing him, giving Yusef a moment to look over the group. It is not large, consisting of only a score or so, and the one with the feathers Yusef suspects may be a chief or leader of some sort. As for the female, perhaps she is a priestess of some kind? One of the warriors steps forward.

"I offer you greetings from the great chieftain of the Haifami!"

"It is my honor to be so greeted, warrior of the Haifami. No doubt your chieftain is wise and noble.

"al-Samsi, chieftain of Sams Bandar, entrusted me with the duty and honor of greeting you and welcoming you to our island. How may we be of service to the Haifami?"

[GM Mad]

Post Continued

Shopkeeper:

To save a little bit of time here, the lowest the merchant will go on the price of the anklet is 40gp. (Of course if Yusef should do something heroic for the village, he might reconsider.)

Haifami:

Outside the village, Yusef has come across of a party of Haifami.

"It is my honor to be so greeted, warrior of the Haifami. No doubt your chieftain is wise and noble.

"al-Samsi, chieftain of Sams Bandar, entrusted me with the duty and honor of greeting you and welcoming you to our island. How may we be of service to the Haifami?"

"Are you a great and powerful man from the village of ships?" The warrior asks next. "If you are, then my chieftain wishes to have words with you."


Now what?

[Yusef]

Yusef:

40 gold pieces if far more than Yusef feels that he can afford at this time. Thus, when it reaches the point of impasse, Yusef politely breaks off the negotiations.

"Are you a great and powerful man from the village of ships?" The warrior asks next. "If you are, then my chieftain wishes to have words with you."

Yusef pauses a moment, unsure how to respond to this. It goes against the grain of his beliefs to brag about his power and accomplishments. After a moment, he formulates a response. "I have come from a far-away land to visit the village of ships. I am a priest of the great god of the sky and am the selected personal representative of the chief. If there is a great task to be done, I am the one he would choose to perform it." Yusef knows that he's taking some liberties with interpretation, but it is pretty much all true. "What would you have of me, warrior of the Haifami? If you need to test my skills, I am willing to address whatever test you put before me."

[GM Mad]

Post Continued:

Yusef pauses a moment, unsure how to respond to this. It goes against the grain of his beliefs to brag about his power and accomplishments. After a moment, he formulates a response. "I have come from a far-away land to visit the village of ships. I am a priest of the great god of the sky and am the selected personal representative of the chief. If there is a great task to be done, I am the one he would choose to perform it." Yusef knows that he's taking some liberties with interpretation, but it is pretty much all true. "What would you have of me, warrior of the Haifami? If you need to test my skills, I am willing to address whatever test you put before me."

"Come." The warrior answers as he starts to walk back to his chieftain. The warrior gestures for Yusef to follow him. "Come listen to the words of my chieftain."

As you get closer, you notice that many of the warriors are visibly nervous, but their chieftain is calm. The chieftain is a tall man of great vigor and good looks. He has the look of a warrior about him. The lone woman eyes Yusef quietly, but approvingly.

The warrior acts as translator between Yusef and the Chieftain. The chieftain and most of his people do not speak the language of the people of the Land of Fate. The Chieftan's story goes like this.

A terrible threat hangs over all the islands of Sartan and it threatens Haifami and Zakharan alike. The God of the Waters has been driven mad by the dark magic of the Gurum. Unless the god is healed, Kar'r'rga will lay waste to all the shores of the Sartan. By the words of his seers, Chief Shafiya has been instructed to seek outsiders. Only such people can heal the great Kar'r'rga. Should this be done, then there will be many years of peace between the Haifami and the Zakharans.

Any questions for the Chieftain?

[Yusef]

Yusef:

"Gladly," Yusef replies and follows the warrior forward. The chieftain is tall and strong; he appears a worthy leader. However, his nearness appears to make the other warriors nervous. The woman-maybe-priestess shares the calm of the chieftain and seems to approve of the meeting. That is good.

Stopping at a respectful distance, Yusef bows in the manner of the Zakharans. "Hail, chieftain of the Haifami."

The chieftain begins to speak and the first warrior translates. It is a troubling tale, full of gods and dark magic. Choosing a priest to deal with a matter of this kind is a sensible idea. Still, Yusef knows so little of what is described.

"Chief Shafiya, please excuse my ignorance as I am from far away. What can you tell me of these Gurum? Have your seers said anything of what must be done to remove this threat?"

[GM Mad]

Post Continued:

"Chief Shafiya, please excuse my ignorance as I am from far away. What can you tell me of these Gurum? Have your seers said anything of what must be done to remove this threat?"

The warrior explains who the Gurum are. The Gurum are the masters of the Jazirat al-Sadaf, the island that forms the body of the crab. To those in Sams Bandar it is a place of monsters that none will venture to. The warrior will describe the Gurum as large magical creatures that sound superficially similar to ogres.

The Chief relates that a great crab-headed giant has been ravaging all the villages of the Haifami closest to the lagoon. As for why he suspects the Gurum, he has three reasons. One is that the Gurum are responsible for much of the evil in the area. Secondly, they have been seen in the company of Kar'r'rga on the god's raids. And lastly, because the tribe's wise woman told him so.

To the chieftain's mind, your task would be to go to Jazirat al-Sadaf and find the secret that makes Kar'r'rga go mad. Beyond that, he does not really know what to do.

Now what?

[Yusef]

Yusef:

Yusef listens quietly to the information provided. The Gurum may be a difficult obstacle, so Yusef may be best off to go around them as much as possible.

"I will do as you ask, Chieftain Shafiya. A quick stop in Sams Bandar is needed to collect my things and inform our chieftain of the quest. Have you a scout who is familiar with the island of Jazirat al-Sadaf and can act as a guide?"

Once he has an answer, Yusef will return to Sams Bandar - with or without the guide - and report to the chief as to what has transpired with the Haifami.

[GM Mad]

Post Continued:

None of the Haifami will set foot on Jazirat al-Sadaf, so they do not have any guides for that evil island. At best, Haifami will sail you to just off the shore of that mysterious island. The plan is that you and any others coming along to sail back to the Haifami islands using the canoe's they used to reach here. The trip is a long one, about two weeks, to reach their main village.

The Haifami will wait here while you go confer with al-Samsi. The village is understandably nervous as you return. Those men and even a few women who can fight stand ready, armed with whatever weapon they could find. Things relax upon hearing your story. Al-Samsi realizes that if what the Haifami say is true, then all who live in these islands are in danger. He commends you on your courage to take up this quest.

"We will hold a feast this evening in honor of your courage," al-Samsi says. "Go and tell the Haifami to come and join us. Perhaps we have been far too superstitious of them in the past and made them out to be monsters. In the name of peace, we shall dine together to learn the truth."

The Haifami accept the invitation, by are still wary as they approach the town. The townsfolk are just as leery of the new arrivals, but things turn out peaceful enough. The fare consists of goat meat, shrimp, fish, plantains and yams fried in palm oil or boiled in thick stews with coconut milk.

[GM Mad]

GM Notes:

A few of the braver locals will offer to accompany you on your mission. Do you want to take anyone else along? As noted above, the trip is a long one as the Haifami canoes can only go so fast through the reef infested islands they call home. It'll take about two weeks to reach the village of Mgaiswalu, on one of the islands very close to Jazirat al-Sadaf. From there you'll be taken to that mysterious island.

Now what?

[Yusef]

Yusef:

Returning to the village, Yusef relates the story of the meeting to al-Samsi, along with everything he has learned of the quest. The chieftain displays his wisdom in inviting the Haifami to dine with them.

Yusef delivers the invitation, which the Haifami warily accept. Yusef does his best to introduce the two chieftains to each other and soothe nerves among both parties. Eventually, they succeed in having a peaceful meal together. The food is delicious, if new to his experience, and Yusef enjoys the feast - though he's not entirely comfortable with being the guest of honor.

As none have ever been on Jazirat al-Sadaf, Yusef will chose not to take any with him. He will not endanger their lives unnecessarily. The Haifami can get him within swimming distance of the island, and that will have to be good enough.

As the feast begins to wind down, Yusef approaches Falawi. "Grandfather, I have considered what you said. The blade you showed me earlier came into the hands of our family for a reason. It may be that its use is necessary to completing this quest. If it will allow me to do so, I believe that I should take it with me."

If the sword does not rebuke him, Yusef will wear it in place of his usual scimitar, which he will leave with his grandfather while he is gone.

[GM Mad]

Post Continued:

While leery of each other from the start, the two tribes' do enjoy their meal together. Chief Shafiya is pleased with the repast and repeats his vow of peace between the two people should this mission meet with success. Al-Samsi happily accepts the vow.

During the feast, the merchant that Yusef bartered with earlier will step up. He places the anklets that you were haggling over in your hands. "In return for your courage, my friend, the jewel is yours. May they bring joy to the lady who rules your heart."

As the feast begins to wind down, Yusef approaches Falawi. "Grandfather, I have considered what you said. The blade you showed me earlier came into the hands of our family for a reason. It may be that its use is necessary to completing this quest. If it will allow me to do so, I believe that I should take it with me."

"As you wish," Grandfather answers. "Come, I will retrieve the blade."

Once more grandfather retrieves the sword from it's hidden hiding place and unwraps. The Sapphire Sword of the Warlord Rashid is an exquisite looking scimitar with a large sapphire set at the base of the hilt. It looks as if it was just forged.

"My the blade of our ancestors serve you well, Yusef."

There is an electric feeling when the sword is touched. For a brief instant there is the same vision that Yusef felt earlier. He see's a ship laying on its side underwater. It bears the name 'The Wanderer'. The vision then fades and Yusef has no linger affects. However, he does get the feeling that he should travel due north for some reason. It's not an overpowering sensation, but rather just a feeling. It can be ignored.


Early the next morning, the Haifami are ready to depart. Their canoes are a few miles down the beach. From there, you'll begin the trip to their home.


Anything you want to do before departing Sam Bandar?

[Yusef]

Yusef:

Yusef does his best to enjoy the feast, though his mind is distracted by thoughts of the challenges before him. There is much to be done, and he has little information to go on. Hopefully he will be able to find the key to this particular puzzle before their time runs out.

The merchant Yusef haggled with earlier appears, and gives him the anklets that he had admired. "Many thanks, good sir. Your generosity humbles me." Yusef reaches down and affixes them to his own ankles. "Should I ever see her again, I will happily convey your gift to her. I have no doubt she will be delighted by this beautiful jewelry."

Later, Yusef meets with his grandfather, who retrieves the fabled sword at his request. "Thank you, grandfather. Hopefully I will serve them as faithfully as it has."

Taking the blade, Yusef receives the same vision as before. Clearly, there is something important about that shipwreck. Yusef finds the sensation of due north a bit odd. He's uncertain if that is the direction to where the ship lies, or something else.

Yusef replaces his own scimitar in his scabard with the sword of his ancestor. He hands his sword to Falawi. "Please hold my sword for me while I am gone, grandfather. It may be that I am gone for quite a while. The Sapphire Sword seems to want me to explore the wreck of The Wanderer, and I shall do so before I return if it is within my power."

Before retiring for the night, Yusef conducts his devotions to Celestian beneath the canopy of stars. He is blessed with a good night's sleep, and rises early the next morning to pray for any needed changes to blessings of his patron.

Once that is done, he will rejoin the Haifami for the journey to their island. As they travel, Yusef will occasionally pull the sword out far enough to get a sense of direction from it. He will be trying to determine if it is urging him to a place within the lagoon between the islands or beyond.

[GM Mad]

Post Continued:

Yusef replaces his own scimitar in his scabbard with the sword of his ancestor. He hands his sword to Falawi. "Please hold my sword for me while I am gone, grandfather. It may be that I am gone for quite a while. The Sapphire Sword seems to want me to explore the wreck of The Wanderer, and I shall do so before I return if it is within my power."

"Of course." Falawi takes the scimitar and places it in the wrap that used to hold the Sapphire Sword. He'll then replace it in its usual storage place.

"You know where the Wanderer was wrecked? Amazing! Perhaps more valuables from our ancestor can be retrieved from there. I was right, Yusef. The sword has chosen you."


Morning comes, and you're ready to depart. Goodbyes are said, some provisions are provided by the grateful villagers, and you're off. The Haifami warriors seem more at ease today. The chief and his personal guards lead the way, with the rest of you among the procession.

As you walk along, the lone woman walks beside you after a time and speaks in broken Midani.

"I not speak tongue well, thankful coming. I Najib, speaker sea spirit."

You'll be able to learn that Najib is a priest among her people. She does not serve a god, but rather the spirits of the sea. (She's a shaman.)


The Haifami canoes' are reached. These are much smaller and more primitive than the ones used by the fisherman. Each only holds four, so the group is spread out among eight canoes. For the first day of the journey, the canoes hug the shoreline until reaching the southern most point of the island. Then the canoes are pulled up on shore, fresh fish are speared, and island fruits gathered for the evening meal.

During the day, Yusef experiments with the directional sensation he feels from the Sapphire Sword. Touching the sword does not cause the vision to reappear, but he still has the feeling that he should travel north.

The warrior you spoke with earlier says that the next day's travel is the most dangerous leg of the journey. You'll be crossing the open water between this island and the closest island in the southern claw chain. The canoes are meant to hug the shoreline, but you have no choice to cross the gap between islands here.


The next day is a typical one for these islands. The morning is cool, but the heat grows as the day goes on. The canoes move in a southwestern direction. Najib stops every so often to speak to the sea spirits to see if you are on the correct course. Al-Qradis drops away as you move further out to sea. But not long after loosing sight of land, the mountaintops of the southern island come in view.

Near midday, a small school of sharks take notice of the canoes. There are four of them in all, but thankfully they are only small ones. The sharks begin to swim among the canoes, bumping them in hopes of capsizing one.


Now what?

[Yusef]

Yusef:

"Partly," Yusef replies to his grandfather with a shrug. "Both times that I have touched the sword, it has given me a vision of the ship, sitting beneath the water. It also seems to want me to go north from here. I can only guess that is the direction to the ship, but I have no idea how far."

Come morning, Yusef trades goodbyes with the people of the village - particularly with his family. He can only hope that he will return to see them again. All too soon, they leave. They have far to go, and no need to waste the daylight.

As they trek across the island to where the Haifami canoes are, their priestess speaks with Yusef. "I understand your speach just fine, priestess Najib," Yusef replies with a smile. "Do the spirits of the sea have a message for me? Do they know anything of the great crab god Kar'r'rga, or of the wreck of my ancestor's ship: the Wanderer?"

They travel south by the canoes, reaching the southernmost point before evening. A fine meal is had to cap off the long day. Sleep is not long in coming. As usual, Yusef conducts his devotions beneath the stars before dawn.

Morning comes, and they set out across the open water toward the nearest island. The weather is nice, though it is somewhat unnerving being way out here in so small a boat. The feeling only increases when a small group of sharks begin bumping the canoes!

It takes Yusef a few moments to settle his emotions. He recalls once having been told by one of the brothers at the monastery, who had been a sailor before joining the priesthood, that dolphins are natural enemies of sharks. Though he's not entirely certain that it will work, Yusef attempts to summon a dolphin spirit with his Summon Animal Spirit spell. If the spell succeeds, he will ask it to drive the sharks away from the canoes.

___________________________________________________________

Yusef will continue checking for the sense of direction from the sword about once a day, particularly when they get toward the northern end of the island chain.

BTW, I don't think I ever answered you question about the Al-Qadim products I have. It looks like I have the Land of Fate boxed set, along with the Corsairs of the Great Sea product. I'm not sure if the latter is entirely complete, but I have at least two books / pamphlets with that name on them.

[GM Mad]

Post Continued:

"Partly," Yusef replies to his grandfather with a shrug. "Both times that I have touched the sword, it has given me a vision of the ship, sitting beneath the water. It also seems to want me to go north from here. I can only guess that is the direction to the ship, but I have no idea how far."

"I would be greatly interested in hearing what you find, Yusef. I have wondered about the true fate of the Warlord Rashid most of my life."

As they trek across the island to where the Haifami canoes are, their priestess speaks with Yusef. "I understand your speech just fine, priestess Najib," Yusef replies with a smile. "Do the spirits of the sea have a message for me? Do they know anything of the great crab god Kar'r'rga, or of the wreck of my ancestor's ship: the Wanderer?"

"You no." Najib states. "Crab god pain. Suffers. No ship. I ask?"


That evening Najib goes through the ritual she uses when summoning the water spirit. She chants and dances along the shoreline for nearly ten minutes. Finally, the water begins to bubble and some of it rises. No one is allowed to close, so the column of water is vaguely shaped from a distance. The two converse for a few minutes and then the water lowers back down and merges with the ocean.

"Wanderer, crab god." Najib states.


The next day is the longest sailing day, as the canoes must cross the gap between islands. This requires crossing the open ocean. During the trip, a small pack of sharks bothers the canoes. Yusef summons a dolphin spirit and it works to drive the sharks away. Between the spirits skills and its unnatural state, the sharks retreat.

The rest of the day passes without incident. Darkness is starting to fall as land is spotted. It is night by the time you reach shore and make camp.

The next few days are uneventful. The canoes skirt the islands during the day and pull up on shore at night. Each day Yusef tests the direction the sword wishes him to go. The direction does begin to move and Yusef's best guess puts his destination in the lagoon of the crab god.

Finally the canoes make port at a small Haifami village. The king of the Haifami is warmly welcomed among his people. From observation, the Haifami are not all that different from the villagers of Sams Bandar. They fish for food, and gather fruits and vegetables from the islands.

The villagers are wary of Yusef, mainly because he is an outsider. You'll learn from your time among the Haifami that they are frequently targets of slavers. These slavers are mostly fair skinned, but more than few bear the features regular Zakaharians.

---

BTW, I don't think I ever answered you question about the Al-Qadim products I have. It looks like I have the Land of Fate boxed set, along with the Corsairs of the Great Sea product. I'm not sure if the latter is entirely complete, but I have at least two books / pamphlets with that name on them.

The Land of Fate boxed set has tons of information in it. It's the atlas for the setting. Going through Corsairs, I have a large adventure book, a little monsters pamphlet, a campaign guide, about half a dozen reference cards and a folded map. Sounds like you're missing a few things there.

[Yusef]

Yusef:

"I would be greatly interested in hearing what you find, Yusef. I have wondered about the true fate of the Warlord Rashid most of my life."

"Of course, grandfather," Yusef replies. Assuming he survives, of course...

"You no." Najib states. "Crab god pain. Suffers. No ship. I ask?"

It takes Yusef a moment to figure out what Najib is asking, then nods. "Yes, please." The crab god is in pain, and from what he has been told, it sounds like it is due to something the Gurum are doing. Before he will be able to do anything about that, he'll need to find out exactly what it is they are doing to cause Kar'r'ga pain.

It is fascinating watching Najib summon the water spirit. There is something arousing about her dancing, though Yusef tries to ignore that. Eventually, a vaguely humanoid form of water rises from the surf and talks with Najib.

"Wanderer, crab god." Najib states.

Yusef thinks for several seconds, and then shakes his head. "I'm sorry, but I don't understand. Can you be more specific?" It occurs to Yusef that it is unfortunate that he has no access to language spells, and then suddenly realizes that Telepathy could perform the same service. He will make sure to take that in place of Dispel Magic the next morning.


The crossing of the channel is tough, but fortunately Yusef's dolphin spirit is able to drive the sharks away and they make it to the other side safely.

Yusef will approach Najib that evening. "May I cast a spell that will allow us to communicate better?" he asks. If she agrees, he will cast Telepathy and create a link with her. "Do you know anything about what is causing Kar'r'ga pain? What is the link between The Wanderer and Kar'r'ga?"

They make good progress up island chain on the west side of the large lagoon over the next few days. Eventually they reach the Haifami village. The Haifami don't appear that much different from those of his family, as their lifestyle is very similar. Yusef does his best to avoid alarming them and takes the time to gather his strength for the trip to the big island. He feels for their fate as victims of slavers, but there is little he can do about that right now.

_________________________________________________________

I had put the Corsairs stuff in the box with Land of Fate, so it's hard to know what is part of which, but there are a number of foldup maps and some various cards so it may all be that. I also discovered that I have PDFs on CD of pretty much the entire Al-Qadim line. Someone had sent me the CDs some years ago with a large collection of TSR products on them.

[GM Mad]

Post Continued:

Yusef will approach Najib that evening. "May I cast a spell that will allow us to communicate better?" he asks. If she agrees, he will cast Telepathy and create a link with her. "Do you know anything about what is causing Kar'r'rga pain? What is the link between The Wanderer and Kar'r'ga?"

Najib is curious about Yusef proposes and thinks it's better to step away from the village to make the attempt. The spell is invoked and suddenly you find that you can hear Najib's thoughts! The spell is not intrusive. Neither one of you can hear anything beyond what the other chooses to send, so memories and feelings are not exchanged.

"This is amazing!" Najib says in wonder. "What wonderful magic! Amanzi says that the Wanderer lies near Kar'r'rga's nest. It is a giant oyster shell that lies at the bottom of the lagoon."

Yusef will realize that Amanzi is the name of the water spirit Najib spoke with earlier.

While she is unsure just what is causing Kar'r'rga pain, Najib will say that Amazi saw one of the Haifami villages being attacked. A creature called a sartani rose from the waters and advanced on shore. You get the idea that this sartani is a giant man-crab that stands over 15' tall! The sartani attacked the village while out on the waters a lone boat watched. There were gurum on this boat, along with an arcane gurum. The arcane had a shell that it blew and it seemed to control the sartani.

Anything you want to ask Najib since the spell has a duration of about 25 minutes.

--

I had put the Corsairs stuff in the box with Land of Fate, so it's hard to know what is part of which, but there are a number of fold up maps and some various cards so it may all be that. I also discovered that I have PDFs on CD of pretty much the entire Al-Qadim line. Someone had sent me the CDs some years ago with a large collection of TSR products on them.

That's bound to cause some confusion! The Land of Fate has 3 large folded maps to it. In fact the scan I put online for the islands came from one of those. There are about a dozen reference cards to it, a few monster sheets, and two booklets. I ended up picking up most everything when it came out. It's mostly sat unused all these years. Oh well!

[Yusef]

Yusef:

"This is amazing!" Najib says in wonder. "What wonderful magic! Amanzi says that the Wanderer lies near Kar'r'rga's nest. It is a giant oyster shell that lies at the bottom of the lagoon."

"Indeed!" Yusef replies. "I had never tried this spell before, so I am as amazed by it as you. I think it will be very useful to me in the future."

Yusef listens to the rest of the information that Najib provides. He is particularly interested in the story of the sartani.

"I have two questions," Yusef begins. "First, are the sartani related or connected to Kar'r'rga in any way? Also, do the spirits know if my ancestor's ship is related to the problem with Kar'r'rga and the Gurum?"

_____________________________________________________________

Since it appears that I have all of the Al-Qadim stuff in PDF, are there any parts that it would be good for me to read? If you tell me what pages in what products, I won't read anything you don't authorize.

Also, I seem to have lost some of the earlier messages in this adventure stream - primarily those prior to Yusef #5. Unfortunately, I wasn't paying much attention to the storage limit and apparently went over. I've made a little room now by moving as much to the Savebox as possible, but it's full now so I won't be able to move any more. Eventually, I'm going to have to find another solution. I hope you have copies of the earlier messages somewhere. Any suggestions on how to manage these messages?

[GM Mad]

Post Continued:

"I have two questions," Yusef begins. "First, are the sartani related or connected to Kar'r'rga in any way? Also, do the spirits know if my ancestor's ship is related to the problem with Kar'r'rga and the Gurum?"

"The sartani are the servants of the Great and Dread God," Najib answers. "No, your ancestor is not the cause of the problem. He sought the great treasure of Kar'r'rga and paid with his life."


Any other questions for Najib? Anything else you want to do before continuing on with the journey?


--

If you have the Arabian Adventures book on PDF, you may read the entire thing, as it's essentially the player's handbook. Of particular interest is chapter one, as it sort of gives you a feel for the setting. It covers the way of life here and was the source for many things that Yusef learned.

The scenario you're doing now is from Golden Voyages, Book 2. The first 8 or so pages describe the islands of al-Sartan and it's people. The rest of the book is the adventure. I figure that if you really wanted to look the scenario up, there's no way I could stop you from doing so. But since I tend to modify things anyway, what's written there may not be exactly how it get's played out. So doing so may not be that helpful.

As for the lost posts, I do have everything saved thus far in text files since mail space is finite. What I can do is take the first file and turn it into a web page for easy reference, much like the old D&D files I reposted on the website. The first file covers the first 13 posts. Then I can do the second file once I move on to the third one.

I can either bury it online somewhere and provide you with the link or I can make it public in the private reference area. It depends if you want the others to see what you've been doing since Yusef went off with Abigail. I haven't told anyone else exactly what's been happening with Yusef, so unless you have they are all in the dark.

Your call.

[Yusef]

Yusef:

"The sartani are the servants of the Great and Dread God," Najib answers. "No, your ancestor is not the cause of the problem. He sought the great treasure of Kar'r'rga and paid with his life."

"That is good to know, Najib. Thank for all of the information. It has been a pleasure meeting you and your people. I pray that I will have an opportunity to visit your village again."

Yusef really cannot think of any other questions. He's looking forward to a good night's sleep and getting an early start on the next phase of his quest.

__________________________________________________________

If I find some time, I may do some reading in Arabian Adventures. I have no wish to spoil the adventure for myself, so I'll avoid Golden Voyages.

I like the idea of you posting the compiled adventure thread. Could we keep it private for now and make it public when/if Yusef is reunited with the other group. That way it supports the idea of him telling his experiences to the others.

No, I haven't spoken with any of the other players regarding Yusef.

[GM Mad]

Post Continued:

The talk with Najib concludes and the spell ends. She thanks you for showing her this new magic that allows you to speak normally.

Several more days pass as you continue along. Each day becomes similar to the other. Rowing the canoe's by day, pulling up on the beaches at night for food and rest. As you move along, you become more and more certain that the direction the Sapphire Sword is indicating is in the heart of the lagoon. The direction is moving more and more to the east as you move further west.

One evening the group pulls ashore to make camp. All seems calm, until one of the warriors cries out in fear and pain! Everyone in the area goes to investigate and discovers a small group of giant crabs approaching the camp. They are the size of horses and one has the screaming warrior in his claw!

--

I'll make and post the webpage when I can. I can also just e-mail you the txt file itself if you need a copy sooner.

As for the others, I did get a few questions about Yusef after you posted is last round of spells. Steven asked what Yusef was up to and I told him that right now he was in a canoe, which he was. He was glad that Yusef found his mom. Dave also asked me and I said that Yusef was off on his own adventures in his mother's homeland and that he would probably turn up again someday in the main stuff.

Now what?

[Yusef]

Yusef:

As they travel, it becomes clear that the sword is pulling Yusef toward the center of the lagoon. Most probably, it is indicating the direction to the ship, but Yusef allows the possibility that there could be something else there that it is connected to, such as his ancestor's body. No way to know until he actually goes there to investigate.

This brings a question to Yusef's mind. Casting the Telepathy spell again with Najib, he asks, "When the time comes for me to investigate what happened with my ancestor's ship, do you have spells for breathing and speaking underwater that you might be willing to use to aid me in doing so?"

Later that evening, they make camp on shore. Suddenly, there is a cry from one of the Haifami warriors. The man has been grabbed by a giant crab, several of which are attacking the camp! With a group of them attacking, Yusef isn't certain he can handle them all by himself.

"Najib! Have your warriors stay back!" Yusef can only hope that they she understands him well enough to pass on the message. Moving forward, he casts Dust Devil, directing the elemental to try to blind the crabs with the sand. He will follow that up by summoning a spirit wolf to attack the crabs. Once that is done, he will move forward to attack as well, using the skills taught him by the brotherhood.
_________________________________________________________

Steven asked what Yusef was up to and I told him that right now he was in a canoe

I shouldn't need the file right away, as I have a few message slots open for now.

[GM Mad]

Post Continued:

This brings a question to Yusef's mind. Casting the Telepathy spell again with Najib, he asks, "When the time comes for me to investigate what happened with my ancestor's ship, do you have spells for breathing and speaking underwater that you might be willing to use to aid me in doing so?"

"Amanzi can grant that ability. I can request it from her when the time comes."

(Nature spirits can grant spell-like abilities that fit their domain. Thus Amanzi can grant water-related magic.)


One evening a group of large crabs wander into the camp and attack! One has already grabbed one of the warriors in its claw.

It's clear that Najib didn't understand what Yusef said as the warriors rush to their companions' aid. They poke at the crab holding their companion with spears.

Yusef summons a Dust Devil and sends it forth to blind the crabs by kicking up the sand on the beach. The effort slows them down. Elsewhere, Najib casts a spell of her own and the crab holding the warrior suddenly becomes docile. It releases the warrior and his comrades drag him off to safety.

A wolf spirit is summoned and the ghostly apparition moves forward to attack the other crabs. Yusef them leaps into the fray and finds that few well placed blows to the crabs will bring them down. He can easily bring one of them down with just a few blows.

The other warriors move in and it shows that they've battled these kinds of creatures before. They warriors work in unison and use their spears to tip the crab over. Once on its back, the crab cannot escape and the only danger is its large claws. The soft underbelly is exposed and a few spear thrusts but it down for good. Chief Shafiya leads the charge and he takes down a few of the crabs without assistance.

The battle is short and decidedly one-sided. The crabs that do survive crawl off, while the others become the evening's meal. The group dines on boiled crab this night!


The next day, the journey by canoe continues. Finally, the spirits of the Haifami warriors begins to rise as they are nearing their woman. You are nearing their home village of Mgaiswalu. However, as you come closer to the villages island a dark smoke can be seen rising up!

Fearing the worse, Chief Shafiya orders the canoes to be pulled up on shore and hidden. The rest of the journey to the village will be made on foot.

[GM Mad]

GM Notes:

Any preparations you like to make first?

Also I updated XP's for New Frontiers and did Yusef as well. He has 40,000 xp's to divide up among his classes.

Now what?

[Yusef]

Yusef:

"Amanzi can grant that ability. I can request it from her when the time comes."

"That is good to hear. If I am able to pursue that goal, I will return to ask for your assistance."


When the giant crabs attack, unfortunately Najib isn't able to understand his message. Still, his spells work and help with slowing the attack. Joining with the Haifami warriors, Yusef attacks the crabs. Fortunately, they are not so very tough, and are quickly defeated and the wounded warrior saved.

They have a fine dinner of boiled crab, which Yusef finds to be delicious. He will offer his magic for the purpose of healing the injured man, if others don't already have it taken care of.


The next day proves to be the final leg of the trip toward the Haifami village. This clearly lightens the hearts of his companions, as this is their home.

However, drawing closer, smoke can be seen rising from the direction of the village. They beach their canoes prepare to cross the island to the village.

Yusef approaches the Haifami who translated earlier. "We should be careful when we get near the village. There may be a trap or other dangers awaiting us."
____________________________________________________________

I'm hoping to draw closer and scout a little to see exactly what's going on at the village.

Cool! Let's assign 27,500 XP to Monk and 12,500 to Thief. I don't believe that will raise a level in either class.

[GM Mad]

Post Closed