(And the thread is up! :) )

You have been summoned to the royal palace of the Pharaoh, called for a special mission of utmost importance. Tiefling guards had ushered you inside the great structure, and now you stand in the courtyard of the palace, surrounded by fountains of water and rows of palm trees. Statues of the gods line the walkway to the inner palace, and hieroglyphs decorate the walls. Nothing is out of place, save for perhaps you, and the other strange individuals who also seem to have been summoned to this courtyard. 

"The queen will be along shortly," a goblin slave informs you, before scurrying off to the outer palace walls. 

Entering cautiously in a short, crimson kimono with matching sandals and a mini crown on top of her head, Yurime is ecstatic, but also nervous,  having treated her last patient for the day. Despite being a well remembered figure amongst the common people, she has never entered the queen's chamber on her own accord, let alone a proper meeting with her. Though she is filled with awe as she stares at the ancient relics that are obviously foreign to her, she is all the more nervous about the quest (and the possibilities of herself going on a rampage). Although her slender back is currently covered by her outfit, if someone looked really closely, there is obviously something moving and swaying tenaciously underneath her fine outfit (it's her tail). 

Whilst cautiously approaching the throne of the queen and giving a little courtesy before kneeling on her magenta coloured legs, Yurime's fluffy, white fox ears (which are partially concealed by the crown) made a small twitch when she senses other warriors that have been summoned for the same occasion appearing behind her. Noticeably, she felt sorry for the slaves but understood that she currently cannot help them with their hardships.

Khaddim is kneeling in silence in the same place he was left by the guards glancing quickly at everyone with his face to the floor trying to not make eye contact since with only that action he has suffered the wrath of several people. But one of the people there caught his attention, a goliath woman, a slave like him. He wondered if she was brought there for the same reason as him. He couldn't help to touch the brand burnt in his chest of the family that owned him with his handcuffed hands.

"Nobles and warriors of Aldhahab. And then there is me, a slave, I hope I can be of use so I can have a better life. Well, not only mine, but every other slave." whispered to himself with his head down and his eyes closed waiting for the queen.

As you peer upon the queens throne, you notice a young, well built male tiefling walk out from behind her throne. He approaches you, as if he is about to speak to you, but suddenly spins around into a kneeling position in the blink of an eye.

A goliath female is led into the room in chains.  She is large, rippling with muscles.   She is uncerimoniously led over beside the orc and left there unchained.

She is wearing torn black tights covered by slave rags.  She is beautiful for a goliath.  She has Jet black hair with light skin and barely noticeable markings.

She looks confused but defiant.  You see a ferocity in her eyes not normally seen in a slave.

She looks around and sees people obviously above her standing and thinks to herself. "I am obviously being sold to them.  From one master to another, what's the difference."

She hears the orc mention something about a better life and smirks.  "I know not why I have been brought here, but I will not grovel to them."

I wandered into Altharwa with a stiff and uneven gait. The long trek through the desert had left me drained and I desperately searched for some shade to sit and attend myself. I found the city to be agreeable at first impression. Whilst the buildings obscured the view of the otherwise open land, they acted as funnels through which a cool breeze blew from time to time. The sun was past its zenith and most people had retreated inside to avoid the hottest hour of the day. This too was agreeable, for the few people I passed all experienced an adverse effect to my being. The little girl fleeing and maiden fainting had been interesting but when a young man threw a stone at me, I figured the scorching sun and whirling sands must have done a serious number on my face for me to frighten them so. To that end I tore apart scraps from my rich white and golden clothes, a merchant's outfit, to bandage my face and arms. The rest I covered with a wide green cloak. Together with the kopesh at my hip and shield on my back I looked every bit the desert nomad.

Busy as I was with covering myself, I failed to notice where my feet were leading me. Gone were the small and simple housing of the peasantry and up rose the decadant and overbearing masonry of the royal abodes. No sooner did I have the time to question why I had found myself here that the guards acknowledged my presence and guided me into the royal city, for calling it a mere palace would do it a disservice. The guards, tieflings from the looks of it for they had otherworldly coloured skins and horns portruding from their foreheads, left me in a garden where the green and blue of the trees and water clashed with the brown sand outside the walls. There was a throne partially hidden among the shade but no monarch and nary a living soul save for a gaggle of strangers huddled amongst the stone statues of the gods.

I looked upon them. No names were mentioned but they were easily identifiable within the social hierarchy of the land. The Goliath woman: a slave. The Orc male: likewise a slave. The Tiefling male: a warrior. His position behind the throne implied not a noble profession but the underhanded tactics of an assassin. Yet it was the woman in the crimson robe that struck me as the odd one out. She did not wore clothing fit for desert travel and her lithe figure was ill suited for a life of hardship. Perhaps she was an entertainer, musician perchance, but the inclusion of one of that profession amongst the musclebound others puzzled me. Nonetheless she, along the others, was awaiting the entry of the Queen. 

Some of them knelt before the throne. I feared that if I were to genuflect, I would not be able to rise to my feet without outside help. To save myself the potential embarrassment, I took up position in the shadow of the largest statue present: Khepri, the scarab-faced god of resurrection and renewal, and merely observed what transpired. 

From a chamber off to the side emerge two priests that escort what appears to be an enormous bipedal crocodile standing almost 7 feet tall into the courtyard. Adorned in ceremonial red garb overlaid with brilliant golden armor those familiar with the lands far down the river will recognize him as a Lizardfolk although the rigid upright posture and opulent clothing is certainly unusual. His leathery hide is a pale off-white which stands in stark contrast to his singular crimson eye. Where his right eye should be is a mess of old scar tissue with lines that run from above his brow all the way down the length of his snout almost to the nostril. His expression is an emotionless line but you can see his good eye flashing wildly about as he walks past quickly taking stock of the other figures present.

He follows behind the two priests walking with the brisk measured pace of a soldier until they reach an area near the front on the courtyard. The two priests stop and genuflect before announcing the presence of Gnash Redeye, defender of the two rivers, ward of the high priest, and tribute to the great Pharaoh. A harsh sounding snort escapes from Gnash at mention of the second title and one of the priests reflexively shoots him a scathing look. Finishing their formal introduction both priests quickly retreat back the way they came, a little too obviously eager to be done with this task. Gnash falls to both knees and sits with his legs folded under him, large tail curled off to the side, remaining almost motionless while awaiting further instruction.

Finally, the call of a trumpet is heard, as a halfling emerges to introduce the queen. 

“Behold! The seventh Pharaoh of the eleventh dynasty, our divine ruler! Bow before the majesty of our queen, Kheprina Nefertari Karis God-chosen II, ruler of the two rivers!”

Emerging from the inner palace comes the Pharaoh herself, carrying with her her royal staff. She is elegantly dressed in white robes, adorned with a golden broad collared necklace. Her silky black hair is cut to her shoulders, which contrasts with the gold crown placed upon her head - not her formal uraeus crown but a diadem inlaid with sapphire. Her darker elven features are set into a stern expression as she regards you with a mixture of anxiety, annoyance, and contempt. 

She opts to stand in front of her throne, which though ornately made, you realise now has been moved from somewhere else in the palace for this meeting specifically. 

Behind the Pharaoh three people follow, each called forward by the trumpeter. 

“The captain of the royal guard, Akhtiar!” A deep blue skinned tiefling takes his place behind the throne. His horns curve back in the same shape that is typical of an impala, and he wears the ornate golden armor typical of his rank. Three, you can read the spoiler below. 

 “The high priest of El Dsri, Omar Almustadei!” A chubby tabaxi stands to the left of the queen. Gnash, you can read the spoiler below. 

 “And the royal vizier and court wizard, Tali Almustadei!” Another tabaxi, this one significantly slimmer and younger, takes her place at the right side of the queen. 

With a nod, the halfling is dismissed and the queen hands her staff to Aikhtiar.

“Greetings,” Kheprina begins. “I have gathered you here today for a very important purpose. My kingdom, Aldhahab, is perfect. I wish to keep it that way. Some of you may have heard rumours that the Sphinxes have begun to attack the common people, that there are strange noises coming from the pyramids and that the river Okhiti is on the verge of drying up. I regret to inform you that these rumours are true.” 

“I wish not for the news to become widespread. So the best solution is to summon an elite task force to find the source of these problems and deal with them efficiently. You…” she pauses to sigh, her eyes sweeping over everyone with an air of disappointment. “You will be that force.” 

“Naturally, there will be a significant reward. Upon discussion with my advisors, I have chosen to grant you one thing that you seek, one wish, if you will. For some of you, it will be riches. For others, knowledge. And for some of you - ” her eyes flick towards Rohar and Khaddim. “For some of you it will be your freedom. Any questions?”

Quote from queen_of_ashes19 >>

 

“Greetings,” Kheprina begins. “I have gathered you here today for a very important purpose. My kingdom, Aldhahab, is perfect. I wish to keep it that way. Some of you may have heard rumours that the Sphinxes have begun to attack the common people, that there are strange noises coming from the pyramids and that the river Okhiti is on the verge of drying up. I regret to inform you that these rumours are true.” 

“I wish not for the news to become widespread. So the best solution is to summon an elite task force to find the source of these problems and deal with them efficiently. You…” she pauses to sigh, her eyes sweeping over everyone with an air of disappointment. “You will be that force.” 

“Naturally, there will be a significant reward. Upon discussion with my advisors, I have chosen to grant you one thing that you seek, one wish, if you will. For some of you, it will be riches. For others, knowledge. And for some of you - ” her eyes flick towards Rohar and Khaddim. “For some of you it will be your freedom. Any questions?”

 "No questions from me yet, your majesty", replied the disguised Kumiho, whilst still kneeling pretentiously at her feet. Her beautiful red eyes are shut and her face has a stoic, apprehensive expression. As she speaks, her distinct, oriental accent makes it pretty clear that she's definitely not native to this country. "I am aware of how much you adore your country and how concerned you are with all of these mysterious occurrences going about everywhere. I will be more than delighted to aid you and your people if necessary. All I ask is that you provide me a safe haven away from the people that are hunting me from my own world."

Inside her head: Oh my gosh! It's really the queen!!! I never thought I'd get to meet her face to face for the first time since I came to this sacred land! Better not lose my composure... Even then, I'm getting butterflies inside me...!

Kheprina inclines her head towards the disguised Kumiho in response. "Thankyou, Miss Hanasaki. I know you hold the common people's respect and that will be invaluable in this quest."

"One wish you say? I humble accept this offer my queen, but I do believe you might come to regret that decision."

Due to his composure before, you would have assumed that the tiefling was a devout follower of the queen, but from his speech, it seems like he is a teenager going through a rebellious phase.

Rohar listens to the Pharaoh, then hears the others address her.  The resentment she had at being here, being sold she thought, quickly dissolves as she understands what is happening.  She thinks to herself.  'The Pharaoh herself is here, I would never have presumed to be given this chance, truly this is my one chance to get the freedom I have sought.'

She looks up slightly at the Pharaoh, her head is still reeling at the possibility of freedom, she can barely get her words to come out correctly.  "Y.y.yes..she stutters... yes.  I do gladly accept these terms your uh ma'am... um your majesty.  

She looks around the room and sees others with finer clothes and some with weapons.  Her voice gets stronger as she gathers her courage.  She looks the queen in the eye and says.  "I do have a question, or rather a request.  I have never been allowed to own a weapon, I have only practiced with wood sticks and pot lids in the dark." 

Her voice gets even stronger as she speaks, the realization that she may truly have this opportunity starts to feed her inner being.  "I would ask that you would supply me with a real sword and shield that I may be able to more efficiently defend myself and serve you."

She looks at the Tiefling and states in a very stong robust voice that is so different that what she started with just seconds ago.  "If you give me this opportunity, I assure you that you will NEVER regret it."

Gnash continues to stay head bowed, kneeling on the floor. He listens eagerly to the Pharoah with utter devotion and respect. A perfect Kingdom? If she says it then it must be so. Gnash’s eye flicks over to High Priest Omar. Forgive me for my mortal flaws River Lord for I find much to be imperfect in these lands.

The large Paladin remains motionless through the rest of what the Pharoah says. By the time the woman with the unfamiliar accent begins speaking his mind is still reeling and he misses most of what she says. A boon from her majesty would be a mighty gift, one powerful enough to have a chance at properly motivating the disparate individuals here to work together.

The Tiefling spoke next and reflexively Gnash’s tail lashes violently to the other side. How DARE he speak like that! A clawed hand grips itself tightly, wishing it was holding the axe at his belt. Not my place to speak, not here, not now. Gnash settles himself back down.

One of the slaves speak next. He remembers thinking like her back when he was first given as tribute to her majesty. She still thinks freedom is a writ of paper, something that can be granted by another. This boon could certainly give her an easier life but she will always be a slave to something greater. Only the Pharaoh is truly free, as it should be.

I straightened my back at the sound of trumpet blaring. I stepped away from leaning against the statue of Khepri yet remained in its shadow. If the common folk's reaction was anything to go by, I was not about to show myself to the highest authority of the land. At least not without a prior warning or explination.As far as my knowledge of royal courts go, that would be in bad faith.

The pharoah was, as befitting a queen, the living picture of both opulence and grace. She was clad in white and gold that stood out against the green and blue of the garden so that all eyes would inevitably be drawn to her. I noticed the lack of the uraeus, the formal symbol of her majesty's sovereignty. This was then to mean that our meeting was an informal one or off the record as one might say. Or perchance this was not a moment for her to act as the representative of the kingdom. Who knows what goes on behind the closed doors of the royal court?

Speaking of said court, three more people were announced by trumpets. They were announced as the captain of royal guard, the high priest and the court wizard. They were representatives of the martial, the divine, and the magical might of the court. I was hesitant to believe it but these three, along with the pharaoh, were the most powerful individuals in the kingdom. If not by their own hand then certainly with the web of connections they must have woven around them.

Despite my earlier inclination, I decided that some protocol must be observed. I shambled out of the statue's shadow and took to one knee behind the others. The sinew in my ankles protested but it was better to tolerate this short pain than to appear disrespectful. More people had lost their head for less.

'O mighty pharaoh,' I spoke, not daring to lift my eyes just yet. 'the land itself desires to restore order and has sent me to be at the disposal of she who rules the two rivers. The desert sands shall aid the water.' The words had already left my mouth when a stray thought entered my mind. Why though?

'Of questions I have only one for now.' I continued. An unpleasant sensation was crawling its way up my shins and I wanted to rise to my feet as quickly as possible. Else the question might become if possible. 'For that I humbly address your royal court.' I dared to raise my head ever so slightly to get a better look at the three people aside the throne. They were unfamiliar to me personally but I doubt one of my stature, as all the others beside me, could have even dreamt of ever setting foot inside the royal palace, let alone be within speaking distance of her majesty.

'You represent the might, the divine, and the magic of Aldhahab and as such are privy to the knowledge that pertains to such a position. Have you perchance a notion as to why such misfortune has befallen the kingdom?'

I eagerly anticipated what their answer might be. In the meantime I could rummage through any ideas for what the queen offered in return for our aid. One wish for anything within her power to grant, which of course meant nearly anything one could ask for. Yet I found myself drawing blanks at any potential reward. What did I desire?

To be honest, Khaddim never expected to be in the same room with the pharaoh. He thought that they would recive the information from someone fo the royal guard, not the pharaoh and the ones that were directly below her in control of the kingdom.  

Despite his resentment towards the pharaoh and the three others that acompanied her, he remained in silence looking the floor for the entire presentation of hers.

"As a representative of the the noble family of Ramadan, I will honor their name and will not fail you." said in a timid voice trying to sound confident, he was used to stay quiet and be submissive when talking. He kept his look on the ground not only because of his status, but because he was afraid of revealing his hatred towards the crown and everyone responsible for the stat of all the species that were slaves.

"Now if I may speak for myself. I feel honored that you consider us slaves in regards of rewarding our freedom. And I am not trying to sound disrespectful, but I would like to know the details of our freedom, just so we can know how we can help the kingdom after been freed without causing confusion and problems." added while making quick and short glances to the goliath slave before finally looking at the pharaoh's eyes with a confident but non-defiant look after finishing his small speech. He wasn't lying, but what he was more concerned about was to know what the pharaoh ment by "freedom".

(Should I make a skill check for my request?)

(No skill check neccesary, FrekorSummers.)

Aikhtiar glares at three as he makes his speech, clearly disgusted by his lack of courtly manners. The queen, however, ignores three and listens patiently to each of you, not answering until silence once more envelops the garden. Sitting down on her throne, she gathers her thoughts and answers.

"I will be happy to provide such a wonderfully subservient individual with a weapon," she says, addressing Rohar. She clicks her fingers, and the tabaxi wizard beside her summons a scimitar with a puff of blue smoke. She gives it to Rohar somewhat reluctantly as the queen continues. "I will see to it that you obtain a shield on your way out as well. Know that in receiving these gifts you are receiving my trust as well. Do not break it." 

"As for your question, umm...my friend.." The pharaoh pauses as she takes in Rashaken, her dark brown skin turning at least five shades paler as she notices the rotting flesh and scars across his face. "I...uh...well, I grant my court permission to speak on the matter."

Tali Almustadei speaks first. "There isn't an arcane explanation, but I suspect that the cause is an imbalance in power," she says, stroking her own golden broad collared necklace thoughtfully, drawing your eyes to the blue diamond set in the centre. "Perhaps the Gods are punishing us for abusing our power. What do you think, father?"

"I think you're being ridiculous, Tali," Omar interjects, his whiskers bristling in indignation. "No one here is abusing any power, and we are in good standing with the Gods. I would know, I'm the head priest and a cleric of Hapi for Okhiti's sake! These things are happening simply because of bad luck, and nothing more." 

"Well, I think someone or something is doing this to harm the Pharaoh," Aikhtiar quietly adds. "Whoever they are, they will rue the day that they tried to hurt my queen."

Kheprina shoots him a smile. "Well, whatever the cause is, I'm sure that this task force can deal with it effectively. And I intend to keep my word if you do." She turns to Khaddim, regarding him with an air of superiority. "By freedom I mean just that - you will be released from your bonds and elevated to the common class. You will live among humans, kalashtar and water genasi. You will have no master. Is that clear enough for you, orc?"

"Ha, "Orc". How typical". Said in his mind. He was always treated like one, no one likes to admit that someone would like to have intercourse with an orc, so the idea of seen a half orc was considered impossible and way more disgusting than an actual orc.

"I am a half orc, but I understand the confusion since I do share most of the physical caracteristics of an orc, the only thing that gives it away are the ears." Said with a smile hiding that he was upset for being looked down upon as an orc, when he really thought that the orcs were better people than all of these "superior races" because they didn't treated anyone as bad as they did.

"I now understand what you mean your highness. Thank you for answering my question." added while lowering his face taking a long, but not noticeable breath to relax.

"Huh. I see." The queen tilts her head to regard Khaddim. "I hope that whatever Aldhahab blood flows in you negates the ferocity of your orc side. I certainly do not need any more problems."

Like the commoners before her, the queen flinched and hesitated when she looked upon my person. I swiftly brought a hand to my face. Had the bandages come undone? I pulled the green hood of my travel cloak deeper over my head to shield my being from further scrutiny and made a note to replace the strips of cloth with proper bandages, or at the very least retighten them. It seems that no one else had noticed. I was relieved for it would be bad fortune to start out on hostile footing. Even so I should take precaution. 

'The land and its ruler are one.' The pins and needles had made their way to my knee. 'If one suffered, so does the other. We shall see to it that balance is restored.' 

I rose to my feet with a deliberate slowness, both out of deference to the royal court and to give my leg ample time to shake off the numbness. With my head still bowed low I shuffled backwards, hoping to shift the attention towards someone else near me. They proved to be an interesting bunch. Some were blunt and forwards, others... less so. I wondered how they would all fit together. We were to be a taskforce, a surgical tool to cut to the root of the problem where brute force and numbers could not operate. And like any tool we were disposable. Such is the lot of those not in power. The slaves would understand. The nobleman perhaps not. The others were different to gauge. Yet they were all enticed by the notion of rewards. I just hoped the common cause outweighted individual desires. 

I stood back behind the others to mull over the answers to my question as well as the one thing I could ask for in return for completing her majesty's command. I observed the others. Friend or foe they have yet prove to be but it never hurt to know more ahead of conflict. As they say: one would not cross the desert without preparing.