Feast of Dust IC

[CasualViking]

Esmaeel Naffar "Thank you, Kardag Whitewater. We appreciate the expediency. As a loyal subject of the Satrap and a devotee of the Dawnflower, I am sure we are all on the same side here. No need for ...tragic misunderstandings". As Esmaeel shrugs, the butt of his polearm accidentally scrapes across the floor, and his mouth briefly curls into an unpleasant smile. He regains his composure and continues: "My name is Esmaeel Naffar. Please take us to the Council".

---

Scout stance * Perception +22 * Double Focused * HP 92/92

[Athaleon]

Majeed said nothing further and motioned Kardag to lead on.

[paradox26]

Kardag leads you through the locked door, and you find yourselves in the audience chamber. This impressive audience chamber is home to several statues ensconced within the walls, and carved in the likenesses of proud women of noble bearing. A great ivory chair adorned with sapphires rests on a dais on the north side of the
room, flanked by smaller but still impressive chairs of mahogany. Two women sit in the thrones, and Kardag immediately goes to sit in the third seat.

[Athaleon]

"Greetings, Whitewater Council, and pray forgive my haste. I am Majeed al-Dimayeni, Servant of the Dawnflower. My associates and I have been informed that Master Sayid has taken refuge in your compound, and we have recently learned his life is in danger—from supernatural quarter, in connection with the plague. At the least, Master Sayid may enlighten us further as to the nature of this plague, and its origin, and help us connect some details our investigation has so far uncovered. We may be close to uncovering the perpetrators. Well, that much could well be true. "Time is of the essence in either case, such that I fear we may rue every minute's delay." Majeed did his best to keep his vexation out of his tone and expression, and through his whole speech addressed the Council as a whole—in particular, he refrained from looking directly at Kardag. "May we be taken to him?"

Spoiler

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Diplomacy: (1d20+20)[22]

If anyone mentioned Arakor Shonar after Majeed joined the party, I couldn't find it with a quick skim of the thread. If someone else could put that part in, that might help us convince them.

[Phantom Genius]

[COLOR="#DAA520"]
If anyone mentioned Arakor Shonar after Majeed joined the party, I couldn't find it with a quick skim of the thread. If someone else could put that part in, that might help us convince them.
[/spoiler]

From message 20, page 1 of this IC thread:
"I would suggest you speak to the High Priest, Arakor Shonar, but he disappeared into the Whitewater compound several days ago, and hasn't been seen since. Some say he has been hiding from the curse in luxury, but I believe he has been working with Tianka Whitewater to find a cure. In any case, the Whitewaters have been sending us clean food and water since he went there."

[paradox26]

The old lady in the center throne speaks up. "I am Tianka Whitewater, and these are Kardag, who you appear to have met, and Ezrisha. Together, we are the rulers of the Whitewater Clan. Master Sayid is here, and you may of course visit with him. But he is an important person, who is in need of protection, as you say. So he is not permitted to leave this compound. The same goes for you, my guests, as the Feast of Dust is too dangerous to allow you to leave this place. You have the free run of this compound until the crisis is over, however," she says.

[Athaleon]

"We thank you for your shelter and hospitality, Lady Whitewater," Majeed said with a low bow. Grateful as he was for the pass—and for Kardag's silence and apparent assent after what had very nearly become a debacle—he still rankled inwardly at having to go before a tribunal just to be casually told that they may of course visit with him. All this after his haste, and the very good reasons for it, had been made very clear. No matter.

"If we may take our leave, we shall visit Master Sayid straight away." Majeed glossed over the bit about them not being permitted to leave the compound. If duty compelled him to go back outside, he would make his case then.

[Paddywagon Man]

"Thank you... I may not well understand what's happening here, but I have faith it's a challenge that can be risen to, and I hope we can help each other to do so."

[Phantom Genius]

... the Feast of Dust is too dangerous to allow you to leave this place. You have the free run of this compound until the crisis is over, however," she says.

"Allow us to leave?" thinks Bazir, wondering if they were trying to provoke something or get a reaction. Well they'll get nothing out of me.

"Thank you very much. Pray tell, how do you foresee the crisis ending? And how long can we last with the supplies on hand?" Bazir tries to be conversational.

[paradox26]

Kardag nods slightly. "You may of course visit with Master Sayid. He is about in the compound somewhere, though he is likely trying to come up with a solution to the Curse," he says to Majeed. To Bazir, he says, "The crisis will end with the deaths of everyone in the area if it is not stopped. We have enough supplies to last for some time here, and we do have the water supply. But the situation is perilous in the extreme."

[Athaleon]

He is about in the compound somewhere. Why will no one simply tell us where he is?

Majeed bowed again and spoke those pleasantries necessary to be dismissed, in as diplomatic a tone as he could manage.

[Phantom Genius]

Bazir, unimpressed, follows Majeed. He tries not to actively grumble about impending doom.

[CasualViking]

Esmaeel Naffar Esmaeel nods to the council, then turns smartly on his heel to follow Majeed in his search.

---

Scout stance * Perception +22 * Double Focused * HP 92/92

[paradox26]

The party is dismissed by the WHitewaters, and left to find your own way around the compound. Servants and guards linger in the area, though, in case you require anything.

Spoiler: Map of compound

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https://docs.google.com/document/d/1...it?usp=sharing
Here is a link to a map of the area. You are in area B5 in the northeast of the map.

[Athaleon]

Finally. Majeed tried once again to flag down a helpful-looking servant in the hope of finally being led to Master Sayid.

Spoiler

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Diplomacy: (1d20+20)[27]

[CasualViking]

Esmaeel Naffar Esmaeel strides out of the room, back into the pillared hall. He stops to make eye contact with his fellow travellers. His brows are arched in exasperation, and he shakes his head slightly. "Too dangerous to leave"., he simply states, recalling the argument made by the Whitewater matriarch. "Whatever is behind those double doors is probably worth checking out". With that thought, he takes the double doors into the hallway, then the double doors leading in the garden.

---

Scout stance * Perception +22 * Double Focused * HP 92/92

[paradox26]

The marble stronghold of the Whitewater clan shelters this sprawling courtyard. Vibrant plants grow here, heavily laden with fruit and blossoms. At the center lies a freshwater spring whose crystalline water laps at the surrounding soil. A pair of smilodons (effectively dire tigers) charge at you as you enter the garden, but they go from aggressive to affectionate when they see you are accompanied by a servant. WHen you get outside, the servant says, "Master Sayid is with Master Reshal. He is not easily disturbed." The servant whispers this, as if he is afraid of whoever this Reshal person is.

[Athaleon]

"Rest assured, we do not disturb them lightly. Our business will be of the utmost concern." Majeed said said in a quiet but firm voice, indeed doing his best to reassure the cringing servant. Now that he had at long last received permission to meet with Master Sayid from one authority within this over-large palatial compound, he'd be damned if he'd be kept away by the mere temper of another. The thought reminded him to bring his own temper back in check.

Spoiler

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Diplomacy: (1d20+20)[21]

[Paddywagon Man]

Warlish leans over to his serpent familiar Hul, a whistling breeze picking up as if to cover his words from any other prying ears as he whispers in the language of snakes.

"I'm not one to think the worst of people, but I worry at how waylaid we've been here, and the insistence of our 'hosts' we won't be leaving... creep about the compound, as silently as you can and unseen if you can manage it, and look for any jails or prisoners. Think your happiest thoughts of plump mice and warm blankets if you find any!"

He sends the serpent slithering about to scout the compound, readying himself to scry on the faithful familiar when he feels the signal through their empathic link.

"Hul Stealth" - (1d20+29)[45]
"Hul Perception" - (1d20+24)[33]

[paradox26]

The servant looks awkward for a long moment, then says quietly, "Master Reshal is...not well. Some may say that he is insane, but I am not sure if I would go that far."

The snake searches the rooms, avoiding the gazes of the residents. It doesn't find anything resembling Master Sayid, and it has soon worked its way through all of the compound. In the end, there is one room to the far north of the compound where it can't get in, as the door is closed and barred.

[Phantom Genius]

"We simply must see him. You have done your job well, but the fate of the entire land is at stake."
-Bazir uses his most serious and somber voice.

[Paddywagon Man]

"Yes... we mean to help this land's people, not simply sit out disaster in safety. We hope that we can find allies in that effort here... but if you'll not show us to Master Sayid, we'd serve better outside. And if you'll neither let us see the master nor allow us to leave... what are we but prisoners? I dislike to think the worst of anybody, and I wish fervently that nobody here would prove an enemy, but what you say does little to fill me with confidence! Now please let us pass, we've already been given permission!"

[paradox26]

The servant considers this carefully, then cautiously replies, "You will be safe here, but if you really must see Master Sayid, I can take you to Master Reshal's chambers. I do not know if he will allow you to enter his chambers. That is the best I can do."

With that, the servants leads you through the building to a locked door, the same one that the familiar had discovered.

The servant then knocks, and you can hear a muffled voice coming through the door. "Go away," the voice calls out. The servant calls back, "Master Reshal, I have visitors for Master Sayid."

Then faintly you think you might have heard a different quiet voice calling for help.

[CasualViking]

Esmaeel Naffar Esmaeel leans towards the servant. "Thank you for leading us here. I think it would be most convenient for you to attend to your duties elsewhere, immediately". He looks to his companions, nods his head towards the door, and braces his polearm against his shield in a fighting position.

---

Scout stance * Perception +22 * Double Focused * HP 92/92

[Phantom Genius]

When everyone is ready (buffed?) the golem will open the door. Whether the door likes it or not.

[paradox26]

The servant hurries off, and you hear the call for help again, along with a muffled grunt.

The door is sturdy, obviously often used to keep people either in or out of the room. It is impossible to tell which is the case. The door is locked, though, so it will either take brute force or great skill to get it open.

Spoiler: OOC ACtions

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How are you opening the door? It is locked, so will require either a Disable Device check or a Strength check.

[Phantom Genius]

I am willing to wait for someone to pick the lock, but the golem would just try to pull it off its hinges otherwise.