Having bested several vile Chokers roosting amidst broken furniture and rubble , the band of adventurers continued their exploration deeper into the ruins of the Refuge of Nethys. In a room littered with piles of shredded scrolls, books, and parchment, they discovered a large basalt plaque, depicting the god-king Nethys, blocking passage south. However, after turning his magical sight upon the Plaque, Aziz found himself able to assert control over the stone plaque, commanding it to rise out of the way.
However, Aziz was momentarily stunned by a powerful aura of magic emanating from the chamber beyond--as a profound sense of euphoria set in, Aziz found himself inexplicably drawn forward into the rough hewn passage, a corridor filled with a strange, pearly vapor. No sooner did he inhale the fumes, when he was engulfed by a frightening vision. Only through the determined action of his allies was he able to regain his senses. Nevertheless, figuring that while terrible to behold, visions themselves were harmless, the rest of the band ventured deeper into the vapor-filled tunnel. Upon entering, each was stricken with his own revelation--but whether these apparitions signified truth or fantasy remains to be seen.
Reaching into the depths of memory, Aziz and Waleed are able to intuit that the strange mist must be the Breath of Nethys, a gas from deep within the earth that imparts its imbiber with strange visions and enhanced magical potency. Uncovering further information about the gas certainly would be valuable to anyone looking to understand the magical research conducted within the Refuge.
Pressing onward, the party came upon a large cavern filled with the gaseous vapor, and dominated by an ancient and decrepit barge hovering in the cavern's center. Kneeling atop the barge was a ragged figure, an old man whose eyes had been raked out by a ferocious beast, and who held a brilliant gold sword at his side. With a stroke of sudden recognition, Waleed approached the tattered man, and attempts to begin conversation. Addled by the gas, however, the man (who was once the Shah of nearby Ghuart, but now who calls himself Haidar the Accursed) mistakes Waleed for a figure from his past, and launches into a frenzy. Fortunately, the party is able to calm the Shah before he becomes violent, and he recounts for the party his fall from grace…
Haidar Yunan was once the wealthy leader of the opulent city of Gurat, a jewel nestled along the river halway between Kelmerane and Katepesh. But he was a wicked and capricious man, and his people loved him not, though they did move against him, for they feared stirring his wrath.
But as he grew old, and his family blossomed in his household and his wealth and power grew without bound, he was visited by an agent of Fate. The night was taken by a tempest for the ages, a storm so powerful it threatened to tear the very foundations out from beneath the Emir's palace. Seeking shelter from the storm a wise woman, the Hakima of a wandering tribe, begged for hospitality at the Falcon Emir's door. Seeing that this wise woman possessed the Sight, he allowed her to stay within the palace, provided that she foretell his future.
"Hakima" he demanded, "tell me, for how many generations to come will my family know prosperity?"
She answered: "The span of your household is not measured in generations, Emir, but in mere seasons. Before the year is out, your family will know tragedy, and you will lose everything you hold dear. The hand of gold built your palace, and it will be the hand of gold that brings it down. Before the season's cycle is complete, a ferocious cat will enter your house, and bring ruin upon you and your family."
Enraged at the Hakima's predictions, the Shah had the women thrown out of his palace and the gates barred, swearing that the mad crone's ravings would not come to pass. The next day, when the Shah awoke, he ordered every cat in the palace to be slain--none were to escape their fate, be they in the gardens or hiding in the harem. And so it came to pass. But the Shah was not happy, and when he awoke the morning following, he made a new pronouncement. Every cat in the city was to be slain, be they in the palaces, or living by the docks. And so this too came to pass. But still the Shah was not happy. And so on the third day, he awoke and announced: No cat shall be found within fifty leagues of city, whether be in desert, or in the caves. So his guard took to the plains, and slew ever cat, great and small. But one still eluded them, a great and ferocious Katepeshi leopard.
The palace guards hunted the leopard for twelve turns of the moon, until at last they cornered the beast in its foul den, and struck it down. That very night, exactly one year after the Hakima's visit, the Shah held an elaborate feast celebrating his victory. Just as the Shah was lifting his glass in defiance to the Hand of Fate, the doors flew open and a young man in tattered clothes, bearing a brilliant gold sword at his side, strode in.
"Before the court of the Shah of Ghurat, and the Heavenly Host above, I demand justice for my father who was slain today!" the boy shouted. The Shah, who was now in a very good mood, responded: "If it is justice you seek, then it is justice you shall have. I will reward handsomely the man who brings me the head of the one who murdered this boy's father."
The young man spoke up. "You will not need to look far, Shah, for the man who took my father's life sits before me in this very room." Suddenly, the room was filled with panic and accusation. Outraged at this accusation, the Shah flew into a rage, "Seize this boy, and throw him into the dungeons!" But the boy was not finished, and he drawing his sword, he announced: "Shah, it is none other than your own head that you ask for." But the boy was no match for the palace guards, and was soon disarmed. "Stop!" shouted the Shah, "I will deal justice right now" And with that, he claimed the boy's golden sword, and with one mighty stroke and a bestial roar, struck the boy's head from his shoulders.
That very night, however, the Shah's palace was beset by a terrible and ferocious golden-haired beast, who crept from room to room, and devoured the Shah's servants and family. But in the wake of this bloodshed, the Shah disappeared and was never seen or heard from again. And so it came to pass that the Hakima's words came true, for no man can defy the Hand of Fate…
Piecing together the story of Haidar, the party deduces that it was the Shah himself, transformed into the leopard, that slew his family and brought ruin upon his House. Secretly agreeing to bring the man to justice for his crimes, the party shames Haidar into submission, and with aid of a magical illusion, convince the man that only by falling upon his blade, can he bring an end to his suffering. With this grim task accomplished, the party collects the crazed man's body and belongs and returns to the surface. Along the way, they pass through ancient temple to the Dark and Destructive arts of magic, but determining that discretion is the better part of valor, they leave the sanctuary undisturbed and continue upwards to the surface...
However, Aziz was momentarily stunned by a powerful aura of magic emanating from the chamber beyond--as a profound sense of euphoria set in, Aziz found himself inexplicably drawn forward into the rough hewn passage, a corridor filled with a strange, pearly vapor. No sooner did he inhale the fumes, when he was engulfed by a frightening vision. Only through the determined action of his allies was he able to regain his senses. Nevertheless, figuring that while terrible to behold, visions themselves were harmless, the rest of the band ventured deeper into the vapor-filled tunnel. Upon entering, each was stricken with his own revelation--but whether these apparitions signified truth or fantasy remains to be seen.
Reaching into the depths of memory, Aziz and Waleed are able to intuit that the strange mist must be the Breath of Nethys, a gas from deep within the earth that imparts its imbiber with strange visions and enhanced magical potency. Uncovering further information about the gas certainly would be valuable to anyone looking to understand the magical research conducted within the Refuge.
Pressing onward, the party came upon a large cavern filled with the gaseous vapor, and dominated by an ancient and decrepit barge hovering in the cavern's center. Kneeling atop the barge was a ragged figure, an old man whose eyes had been raked out by a ferocious beast, and who held a brilliant gold sword at his side. With a stroke of sudden recognition, Waleed approached the tattered man, and attempts to begin conversation. Addled by the gas, however, the man (who was once the Shah of nearby Ghuart, but now who calls himself Haidar the Accursed) mistakes Waleed for a figure from his past, and launches into a frenzy. Fortunately, the party is able to calm the Shah before he becomes violent, and he recounts for the party his fall from grace…
Haidar Yunan was once the wealthy leader of the opulent city of Gurat, a jewel nestled along the river halway between Kelmerane and Katepesh. But he was a wicked and capricious man, and his people loved him not, though they did move against him, for they feared stirring his wrath.
But as he grew old, and his family blossomed in his household and his wealth and power grew without bound, he was visited by an agent of Fate. The night was taken by a tempest for the ages, a storm so powerful it threatened to tear the very foundations out from beneath the Emir's palace. Seeking shelter from the storm a wise woman, the Hakima of a wandering tribe, begged for hospitality at the Falcon Emir's door. Seeing that this wise woman possessed the Sight, he allowed her to stay within the palace, provided that she foretell his future.
"Hakima" he demanded, "tell me, for how many generations to come will my family know prosperity?"
She answered: "The span of your household is not measured in generations, Emir, but in mere seasons. Before the year is out, your family will know tragedy, and you will lose everything you hold dear. The hand of gold built your palace, and it will be the hand of gold that brings it down. Before the season's cycle is complete, a ferocious cat will enter your house, and bring ruin upon you and your family."
Enraged at the Hakima's predictions, the Shah had the women thrown out of his palace and the gates barred, swearing that the mad crone's ravings would not come to pass. The next day, when the Shah awoke, he ordered every cat in the palace to be slain--none were to escape their fate, be they in the gardens or hiding in the harem. And so it came to pass. But the Shah was not happy, and when he awoke the morning following, he made a new pronouncement. Every cat in the city was to be slain, be they in the palaces, or living by the docks. And so this too came to pass. But still the Shah was not happy. And so on the third day, he awoke and announced: No cat shall be found within fifty leagues of city, whether be in desert, or in the caves. So his guard took to the plains, and slew ever cat, great and small. But one still eluded them, a great and ferocious Katepeshi leopard.
The palace guards hunted the leopard for twelve turns of the moon, until at last they cornered the beast in its foul den, and struck it down. That very night, exactly one year after the Hakima's visit, the Shah held an elaborate feast celebrating his victory. Just as the Shah was lifting his glass in defiance to the Hand of Fate, the doors flew open and a young man in tattered clothes, bearing a brilliant gold sword at his side, strode in.
"Before the court of the Shah of Ghurat, and the Heavenly Host above, I demand justice for my father who was slain today!" the boy shouted. The Shah, who was now in a very good mood, responded: "If it is justice you seek, then it is justice you shall have. I will reward handsomely the man who brings me the head of the one who murdered this boy's father."
The young man spoke up. "You will not need to look far, Shah, for the man who took my father's life sits before me in this very room." Suddenly, the room was filled with panic and accusation. Outraged at this accusation, the Shah flew into a rage, "Seize this boy, and throw him into the dungeons!" But the boy was not finished, and he drawing his sword, he announced: "Shah, it is none other than your own head that you ask for." But the boy was no match for the palace guards, and was soon disarmed. "Stop!" shouted the Shah, "I will deal justice right now" And with that, he claimed the boy's golden sword, and with one mighty stroke and a bestial roar, struck the boy's head from his shoulders.
That very night, however, the Shah's palace was beset by a terrible and ferocious golden-haired beast, who crept from room to room, and devoured the Shah's servants and family. But in the wake of this bloodshed, the Shah disappeared and was never seen or heard from again. And so it came to pass that the Hakima's words came true, for no man can defy the Hand of Fate…
Piecing together the story of Haidar, the party deduces that it was the Shah himself, transformed into the leopard, that slew his family and brought ruin upon his House. Secretly agreeing to bring the man to justice for his crimes, the party shames Haidar into submission, and with aid of a magical illusion, convince the man that only by falling upon his blade, can he bring an end to his suffering. With this grim task accomplished, the party collects the crazed man's body and belongs and returns to the surface. Along the way, they pass through ancient temple to the Dark and Destructive arts of magic, but determining that discretion is the better part of valor, they leave the sanctuary undisturbed and continue upwards to the surface...
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Posted on October 07, 2011 00:27
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