[Hourglass of Zihaja] Chapter 10: Adventuring

[Zeta Kai]

Prince Omar

Quotes

• “The ministers back me, & the people back the ministers. By blood, by order, & by the will of the city, I am the rightful king.”
• “My brothers are both strong, never prone to surrender or failure. Let us all hope that they remain wise.”
• “Who among us would you choose? Who would you have hold the Rod & Flail?”
• “Dimmer days await us all. One day quite soon, our fortunes shall curdle & spoil.”

Background
Omar is the eldest son of the last pharaoh of Sabur, King Sesseram, who died two years ago. He now jointly rules the city of Sabur with his two younger brothers, Amir & Walid. As the firstborn prince, he appeals to the city’s ministers, who are mostly traditionalist & like-minded. His relationship with his brothers is extremely tense & fragile, as they each actively seek to usurp the others’ power, or have each other killed.

Prince Omar would prefer not to deal with the politics & intrigue involved in governing a city-state like Sabur, but he feels as if he has no choice in the matter. The citizens of Sabur have mostly chosen sides, siding with one co-ruler or another, which threatens to turn their sibling rivalry into a civil war. The general sentiment among the locals is that this situation is unstable & one day, sooner or later, the issue will erupt in an irrevocable confrontation. Omar would prefer to avoid a conflict, but for all his wits, he doesn’t see much of a choice about that, either.

Personality
Omar is an aloof individual, prone to distraction & preoccupation. He would rather spend his time reading books & performing arcane experiments in his private chambers, but he feels pressured by circumstances (& the ministers) to take the reigns of power. In his mind, he believes that the city needs a wise, learned leader, & that he is the best one for the task. He is distant & socially awkward, therefore not inspiring confidence in his abilities, even though he is an able strategist & a skilled problem-solver.

Appearance
Omar’s face is mostly expressionless, as if he were wearing a mask of bored indifference. He wears only the finest embroidered robes, which are decorated with crossed bars & other symbols of state. He can often be seen making strange hand gestures & whispering to himself. He usually walks about in an absentminded manner, as though he were thinking about something or somewhere else.

Goals
Omar wants to take complete control of Sabur, wresting it from his brothers. He thinks that Amir is too irresponsible & foolish to be the next pharaoh, & that Walid is too power-hungry & ambitious for the Rod & Flail. Despite his desire to leave the city & its politics behind to focus on his studies, he is determined to preserve his father’s legacy & maintain the city’s peaceful prosperity. He would prefer to remove his brothers without bloodshed, but if they continue to resist his designs, then he feels that he will have no choice but ensure the wellbeing of the city, no matter what it might cost them. The city’s recent troubles with the Black Blight have distracted most of the involved parties, but Omar will not be deterred so easily; he feels that this crisis has exacerbated the issue of succession, & that it must be resolved decisively (& soon).

Combat Tactics
Omar is patient & deliberate on the battlefield, almost to the point of being pensive. He will calmly assess the situation, determine the most beneficial course of action, & execute his stratagems with a cool efficiency that some find unnerving. He hides a rapier on his person that he uses to surprise opponents, although he prefers to avoid melee fights, if at all possible. He would rather summon a creature to fight for him, like a celestial riding dog or a fiendish wolf. He likes to cast his spells surreptitiously, & he often relies on offensive spells (such as ray of enfeeblement, fog cloud, & hold person) to end encounters before they become a serious threat. Often times, however, he need not lift a finger to protect himself, as he is usually accompanied by a small retinue of the city’s best guards (1d3 fighters, 7th level); if these guards are defeated, he will usually find it prudent to flee.

3E Stats

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RACE: Human male
CLASS: Aristocrat 4/Wizard 5
ALIGNMENT: True Neutral
DEITY: Adimas
SIZE: Medium
AGE: 26 (born 329 AF)
HEIGHT: 6’3”
WEIGHT: 188 lbs.
EYES: Brown
HAIR: Black
LANGUAGES: Aquan, Archaic, Auran, & Common
HIT DICE: 8+3d8+5d4+18 (52HP)
INITIATIVE: +0
SPEED: 30’
ARMOR CLASS: 16 (+2 deflection, +4 armor); touch 12; flat-footed 16
BASE ATTACK BONUS: +5
GRAPPLE BONUS: +6
ATTACK: +7 Concealing** Rapier (1d6+2, 18-20/×2, piercing)
FULL ATTACK: +7/+2 Concealing** Rapier (1d6+2, 18-20/×2, piercing)
SPACE/REACH: 5’/5’
SAVING THROWS: Fortitude +5, Reflex +3, Will +7
ABILITIES:

• Strength 13 (+1)
• Dexterity 10 (+0)
• Constitution 14 (+2)
• Intelligence 16 (+3)
• Wisdom 12 (+1)
• Charisma 9 (-1)

SKILLS: 86 points

• Appraise +18
• Concentration +14
• Knowledge (Arcana) +13
• Knowledge (History) +11
• Knowledge (Nobility) +12
• Listen +16
• Sense Motive +12
• Spellcraft +15

FEATS: Augment Summoning, Scribe Scroll (bonus), Silent Spell, Skill Focus (Listen), Spell Focus (Conjuration, bonus), Still Spell
WEAPON: +1 Concealing** Zahir Rapier (8,820gp, 1d6+2, 18-20/×2, 1 lb., piercing)
ARMOR: N/A
EQUIPMENT:

• 930gp
• Bracers of Armor +4 (16,000gp)
• Ring of Protection +2 (8,000gp)
• Wand of magic missile 3rd (2,250gp)

SPELLS: 4/4/3/2 (Caster Level 5th, for Conjuration spells, save DC14 + spell level; for all other spells, save DC13 + spell level))

• 0th Level: acid splash, arcane mark, dancing lights, daze, detect magic, detect poison, disrupt undead, flare, ghost sound, light, mage hand, mending, message, open/close, prestidigitation, ray of frost, read magic, resistance, stinging breeze**, tally**, touch of fatigue
• 1st Level: Adimas’ annoying arrow**, feather fall, mount, ray of enfeeblement, shocking grasp, sleep, true strike
• 2nd Level: detect thoughts, fog cloud, see invisibility, summon monster II
• 3rd Level: herald/courier**, hold person

FAMILIAR: Maliq, a raven (9HD, 26HP, AC17 (+2 size, +2 Dexterity, +3 Natural Armor), BAB+11, Claws +7 melee (1d2-5), Fortitude +3, Reflex +5, Will +8, Intelligence 8 (-1), Alertness, Deliver Touch Spells, Empathic Link, Low-Light Vision, Share Spells, Speak with Master, Alertness, Improved Evasion, Weapon Finesse, speaks Archaic, Appraise +14, Concentration +12, Knowledge (Arcana) +9, Knowledge (History) +7, Knowledge (Nobility) +8, Listen +17, Sense Motive +13, Spellcraft +11, Spot +9).