Party: Chunk, Coine, Dorian, Flynn and Urzein
SHORT SYNOPSIS
An Elf warlock, a Halfling sorcerer, an Elf barbarian, a Tiefling rogue and an Orc barbarian gather in the town Al-Zalora. They confront Qar, an emissary from the Veiled Knives, a dangerous underground organization. A battle ensues and the outnumbered Qar manages to escape.
LONG SYNOPSIS
In the harsh expanse of the desert, Al-Zalora is a small trading town on an oasis. There, a motley crew of adventurers gathers. Dorian Rainshadow, an Elf warlock with a mysterious purpose introduces himself to Flynn Lightwind, a shy halfling sorcerer who is just coming to grips with the arcane power flowing in his blood. A muscular Elf barbarian, Urzein, arrives and asks if they have seen some mysterious symbols, including one involving a knife and a strange cloth against a black moon.
Coine Driftwood, a dapper Tiefling rogue, wanders over to chat with the group.
Eventually, the heat of the day compels them to find a tavern. They notice the towering orc bouncer at the tavern’s entrance. Urzein asks the bartender about the mysterious symbols, and is directed to talk with Amira in the marketplace. The Elf Barbarian buys the party a round of fermented camel milk. Meanwhile, Flynn works up the courage to talk to a grizzled old mage at the next table. The mage is called Omar ben-Khalil. When the conversation turns to magic, Omar mentions that Leila Al-Zalora, who is most likely at the oasis waters, has a problem. As for himself, Omar is in search of ancient relics. He requests the group’s assistance in his next venture in exchange for 20 gold pieces per a person for the next two ten days and a share of the rewards. Omar plans to leave in a couple of days.
Dorian leads the party to find Leila Al-Zalora. They find the beautiful young woman using her magic to protect and purify the oasis. She tells them that there have been strange problems with the waters. Unfortunately, the small town has its hands full with armed bandits and does not have enough resources to investigate the problem themselves. Leila suggests that if they want to know more, they should talk to her father.
They are introduced to the Sheik Al-Zalora. Apparently, the waters throughout Calimshan are being disrupted. There are many rumors hinting at cultists, old djinn or other mystical causes. The Sheik suggests heading to Calimport if they want to talk to the Pashas about it. In addition, the city is beset by the Shadow Thieves who come to extort the town. There appears to be a split among the Shadow Thieves, and the splinter group is known as the Veiled Knives. When Urzein asks if the Sheik is familiar with any of the two symbols he is searching for, the Sheik answers that the symbol of the knife with a black moon and the cloth belongs to the Veiled Knives. He says that Amira in the marketplace would know more about them.
The group heads to the marketplace to find Amira, an herbalist. When asked, she explains that the Veiled Knives are much more brazen and aggressive than the other Shadow Thieves. Urzein shows hostility towards the Veiled Knives. She says that one of the emissaries from the Veiled Knives will be arriving in a few days. Amira will tell them when the emissary arrives.
A few days later, Amira tells them that a representative of Veiled Knives is on the road to Al-Zalora. The representative is a man named Qar who travels with a pack of jackals. He is very dangerous. She warns the group that they may not be strong enough to fight Qar. Urzein is inspired to find the orc bouncer and seek his help. Chunk, the Orc barbarian, reluctantly asks for permission from the tavern owner. Upon being granted permission, he joins the group.
The adventurers travel north until they find a man dressed in desert garb and followed by a pack of jackals. When Urzein confronts him, Qar attacks. Coine slays one of the jackals as it approaches Dorian. Flynn unleashes a burst of magic and kills another jackal. He is about the yell out in triumph, but finds that he is unable to speak. Chunk rages and kills another jackal. Dorian leaps into strike Qar.
Outraged, Qar throws a series of brutal attacks that sends Dorian to the ground. Urzein roars in anguish and savagely attacks Qar. The voiceless Flynn uses his sling while Chunk and Urzein batter Qar. Coine draws Dorain away from the battle. Realizing that he is outnumbered, Qar uses a magical ring to escape.
In the aftermath, Coine staunches Dorian’s wounds and Urzein carries the Elf warlock back to Al-Zalora. Amira restores Dorian with a potion of healing. She also hands a potion to each of the adventurers. She tells them that Qar is a vengeful man and that it might be a good time for the party to disappear for a while. They agree and seek Omar the mage.
Omar is glad to have their company and plans to leave when the sun rises.
