Glyph wonders what such a powerful person would do with such a powerful artifact. Yes, drive out the undead and preserve the established hierarchy? To what other uses could this artifact be put? How would it impact the locals? Most importantly, what will happen to it and how will it be used after the Kingdom is saved? Glyph remained uncharacteristically quiet as questions bounced in and out of his head. After pausing to hear his fellows’ responses, he flashes his shining smile.

“An outstanding opportunity for camaraderie and an unparalleled adventure await, then.” He raises his hand toward the frail scholar. “I can assure you, good professor, that I will do everything within my power to help recover this artifact and to ensure that the people of Anjara are saved. Though the whipping sand sting my face, and the heat sap my energy, I will persevere like . . .”

The half-elf drones on about the troubles the group may face, each time rededicating his resolve to complete the task. All the while, questions bounce in his head about this artifact and the people who will to control it.

Opehlia has no idea what Maitland is suffering from and feels a sneaking sensation of dread about her own problem as if Maitland's fate might be her own.

"We rest now. Tomorrow we will greet Me'at Halwa in the early evening and then settle at Lord Set's villa. Please rest well," Maitland nods at the party as Zydus ushers you all from Maitland's cabin and closes the door behind you remaining inside. 

OOC: option ahead skipping forward to docking or allowing you all to discuss what Maitland has said and spend another full day aboard.  Sound off in the group PM.

The evening passes without further incident. Some passengers are restless and remain in the communal spaces below deck. The captain too is among them. Nirah Nyhus is a seasoned sky sailor but the events of the early evening have shaken the captain to their core. The violent death of a passenger on her watch. The party learns that a death of a passenger by violence is not something she's had to deal with before. Meanwhile, the other members of the crew can be overheard discussing their sympathy for the captain and their admiration for her as well. The old man's body is wrapped in linen and set in the cold storage area of the ship. A prayer is said over the body as Avris casts Gentle Repose and then confesses to the party her lack of resolve to continue with the pursuit of the items they now seek at Maitland's behest. Avris will most likely stay in Me'at Halwa unwilling to follow professor Maitland's task further and wishes the party well she equips them with a couple of her standard potions of healing as well as a healer's kit well set for desert ailments.

The following morning beings with little fanfare. Moira serves a hearty breakfast and while the party eats Adruus makes an appearance. The stoic monk informs the party that Maitland has lost consciousness but seems to be resting peacefully thanks to a few spells from Avris over the evening to ease Maitland's pain but nothing quite like a cure. The monk seems extremely worried about Maitland's continually deteriorating health and seems fanatical about the party being serious with their undertaking of Maitland's quest for the relic and the book now that Avris has left them! The day is then spent pouring over Maitland's journals, maps, and sketches again to gain more insight into the task at hand. Within the journals, the party learns a little more about the Al-Said Barakah-Set family now that they know the relevance to the quest ahead as well as the legend of the hero Meneptah. A divine being called down by a devout follower of the Sun God worshipped in Anjara which the party would liken to Pelor which Ajarains call Aten. A large disk with rays of light shining from it that end in humanoid hands reaching out in all directions.

This Sun God is followed by the current ruling family that has since devoted their entire reign to constructing new temples as well as dedicating the entire city of Me'at Halwa to them. A genderless being Aten is known for giving life.  

Maitland has even translated an ancient script they discovered in a temple about the Aten long before the ruling family had begun their sole worship of the being which reads:

Before the Aten men had slept like the dead; now they lift their arms in praise, birds fly, fish leap, plants bloom, and work begins. Aten creates the son in the mother’s womb, the seed in men, and has generated all life. They have distinguished the races, their natures, tongues, and skins, and fulfills the needs of all. They have a million forms according to the time of day and from where they  are seen; yet they are always the same.

 

 

OOC: Further investigation or history rolls will gain deeper knowledge/insight into the journals now the party knows what they are seeking.

Sitting around the lounge in the early evening as dinner is being prepared the crew announces the sighting of land ahead! The party clamored like most of the other passengers and crew to see it, the shining city of light towering ahead of them, a flower of civilization blooming out of the vast desert that stretches as far as the eye can see ahead! Large winged animals can be seen in the skies above the city as well as distance over the encroaching desert.

Enormous pyramids are the main spectacle! They stand tall with the pinnacle of each hovering as if by magic! They shine in the setting sun as if their made of some sort of luminescent substance and are the size of mountains in the distance! Also in the skyline, the party can see gold-wrapped spires dot the landscape. The 'City of Mages' comes to mind from Maitland's tales in the journals as the party looks out over Me'at Halwa. As they continue to approach the sun sinks further into the sky towards the city itself only casting more illumination on the pyramids and spires as well as on the desert that stretches beyond, The city itself seems built like a disk the shifting sands kept back by high walls of stone. Me'at Halwa is built on a large harbor that is lined with sailing vessels of all shapes and sizes. The skies too in all directions the party can't even count the array of flying vessels great and small approaching as well as leaving!

"So, about another hour before we're clear to the land I'm afraid," Captain Nyhus calls out approaching the party at the railing and looking out at the city closer than ever before. There's a long pause as if the captain is searching for words before then continue. "Again I...I thank you for your service to the other passengers, the crew, and myself. You will always have a place on my ship should you need it," she explains as she nods at the party before departing for the wheel as Gaia joins her.

At times Jada assures Ardruus that he is serious in completing Maitland's quest. "I have made a promise and I will see Maitland's quest is completed. Death comes for us all. Soon it is Maitland's time. Take comfort that they will be remembered"

Jada is awed by what he sees. It is beyond his expectations and speaks of a powerful civilization. "This place is full of wonder. I am not a man of faith, but this Sun God Aten is mighty indeed. Who was this divine being? All I have are more questions" Jada falls into a form of revere as he waits for the ship to dock

"Thank you, Madam," Firebrand says with a bow to the captain. "May Bahamut bless your return trip and keep this ship safe from harm."

He is a little bit surprised to hear Jada's musings on Aten.

"I can't say that I know much about Aten... or most other deities for that matter, as my devotion is to the just and good dragon lord Bahamut. But I have sometimes wondered if many of us might not be worshiping a single being that reveals itself with different faces for the different nations. It is an interesting thought to ponder, wouldn't you say?"

"Yes much to ponder." says Jada. He then shakes his head and leans on his halberd like a walking staff "I will leave it up to the theologians to figure out the answer. I know where my skills lie"

“Yes, yes, of course, Arduus,” Glyph assures the genasi. “I’d be very pleased to help the professor in this endeavor and get those artifacts back into the right hands! After all, this is how we distinguish drab old work from an adventure, yes? Adventures are born of dire need, and it seems the need in this case is certainly dire!”

The half-elf winks at Maitland’s bodyguard and flashes him a large smile, before ducking round to his room. He spends the rest of his free time during the day preparing for their arrival. He actually walks around with Maitland’s journals/maps, openly reading them to himself, and he repeatedly returns to his room to ensure his things are in order. Scanning his room for anything he’d missed, he notices the corner of a paper sticking out from under his bunk. He stoops down to pick it up and recognizes it as an illustration of himself swinging Beatrix to fully decapitate an ettin, the first head flying through the air, and the second halfway severed. Rolling his eyes, he places the illustration into his satchel and returns to the deck.

Looking out at the city leaves even Glyph at a momentary loss for words. The unimaginable wealth that must exist to create and maintain such structures, with no mention of the magical cost, was staggering. Taking the disc-like city and the blinding gold together, the half-elf understands at once how the Sun God’s presence has come to inhabit so many facets of Anjaran life. His golden cloak suddenly begins to billow as if in strong gusts of wind, contrary to the gentle breeze currently blowing in the location he chose on deck.

“Well, this should be interesting, if nothing else,” Glyph says more to himself than anybody. He looks around and sees Jada and Firebrand having a conversation. He nods and gives an extremely awkward “cool guy” wave to the pair of them. Resting his elbows on the deck’s railing, the half-elf’s eyes start casually scanning the streets to see what’s revealed underneath all of those opulent pyramids and towers. 

(I’ll roll a perception to see what I can see in the mean streets of Me’at Halwa. Just looking for more of a picture of what the situation is for the “common folk.”)

Perception: 17

Ophelia is no physician, she knows that she cannot cure the professor. So she does what she has always done best: stick her nose in a book. She redoubles her efforts with the books, working alongside Glyph through long hours, taking extensive notes of her own.

History check: 9

At night, sometimes she pulls out a small harp and plays a soothing melody for the professor. It isn't much, but it perhaps it provides some comfort.

~~~

Ophelia runs to the ship's railing and leans out over the side. Her breath leaves her body at the sight of the splendid golden city sprawling before them. "My word," she gasps, "I don't think I've seen anything so stupendous!" She drinks in the sights, leaving for now the notebook in her hand. There will be time to collect her thoughts and put them to paper later.

Jada's question pulls her from her awestruck state. She can never resist a good lecture. "It's certainly the case for some beings. The primordial Akadi is known in some lands as the god Teylas. And yet, if this is the case for all gods, why do they not ensure they are heard consistently? Surely a being of such great power could communicate its wishes to mortals. Or is it that mortal perception is inherently fallible, even against the power of a god?" She shrugs. "I have plenty of research on the subject, though it seems there's little in the way of consensus. Tell me, mister Firebrand, how did you come into the service of Bahamut?"

Firebrand sighs and leans against the railing when Ophelia asks her question. He looks at her with a half-smile.

"Desperation mostly, if I'm being honest," he says with a chuckle. "My family has served an evil master for many generations... and I turned to the local temple in the hopes of finding a way to rid ourselves of that cursed beast. Bahamut spoke to me in a vision that day and told me what I needed to do in order to free my family from the evil being... and I have served my Lord since then, protecting the innocent and smiting evil in His name. One day, when I am ready and have made all the necessary preparations, by the power of Bahamut I intend to smite that red dragon and free my family from its cursed grip once and for all."

Glyph peers down, the ship is more than 1500 ft in the air, he can see other smaller buildings and streets but people and their actions are far too small to clearly be defined. The city however is even more clearly a disk enclosed by a 15ft wall on all sides the disk is only slightly imperfect by the harbor that, at this height, Glyph can tell was made by magic, not nature!

Ophelia learns that Maitland's interpretations of the Set family myths were just that, their own, that possibly she might want to ask Lord Set more questions. The Set history will be better told by a member of the family themselves. 

An hour passes as the ship finally receives clearance to dock at a spire that has a dozen or so platforms with other sky ships of various sizes attached with cargo being unloaded as well as passengers exiting the vessels docked belowandabovethe Gazer. Arduus then appears above deck for the first time and asks for help getting Maitland on a stretcher. He also issues some words of caution. 

"The Lord Set will wish us to be as covert as possible. The cultists of the undead have spies everywhere. We need to be cautious and careful. Our business is our own," Arduus reminds the party as they prepare to depart. "We will make sure we're not being followed after disembarking the ship then go directly to the Set villa," the monk explains seeming exhausted and very stressed. 

“A noble quest, my friend!” Glyph exclaims to Firebrand, as he moves over to help the monk raise Maitland onto the stretcher, taking extra care while handling the frail professor. A wry smile appears on his face. “Perhaps after this adventure, we’ll have to plot the next.”

“Yes, of course! A bit of subtlety and discretion would be best going forward! Happy to help in anyway, I can, dear Arduus. I'm a bit of a natural at blending in with a crowd!” The half-elf winks and flashes a not-so-convincing grin, as the still billowing cloak gleams, reflecting the blinding sun like a patchwork of gold bars. “Nothing screams ‘I’m a tourist’ like getting immediately roughed up by the locals.”

After he finishes helping Maitland to the stretcher, he returns to his colleagues, an enormous, glittery smile plastered on his face. “Well now, this is truly magnificent! So much potential!”

“Peril Among the Pyramids!” he waves his hand dramatically. “Or (Un)Dead in the Desert: The Lost Kingdom of Anjara and Cults of Undeath! Yes, that’s got a nice academic-ey ring to it!”

“Do we have a plan of attack? I daresay if we were on Wildemount there wouldn’t be a chance of being openly attacked or stalked through the cities,” he says thoughtfully, before recovering his buoyant ego. “Though it’s likely word of my travails haven’t reached these distant dunes, so I suppose anything could happen.” He shrugs, a completely serious look on his face.

Jada pulls up the hood of his dark blue cloak and pulls it closer to cover most of his armor. He looks to Arduus "Yes, I will be discrete" When they disembark he will keep an eye out for anyone looking at the group a little too intently.

Perception

20

Ophelia clears her throat. "Allow me, gentlemen. I'm hardly what you might call an 'athlete' but I believe I may be of some assistance." She plays a gentle, airy tune, and the air beneath Maitland's stretcher swirls and gently lifts them up. Tenser's floating disk manifests itself below the stretcher. "There. Now should we be accosted, we need not worry about the professor's wellbeing. Should we run into trouble, I will run ahead and bring the disk with me." She pauses, and then adds, chagrined, "Erm, perhaps we might disguise him as the luggage?"

She turns to Glyph. "Mister Brookstone, while I do appreciate your grandiloquent nature, I feel this is the time for subtlety. Shall we save your tales for another time?" She gives him a look, then arches her eyebrow. "Come to think of it, didn't you once mention that you were adept at subterfuge? I seem to recall you gave an account of sneaking unseen through a hive of venomous wasp women. Might you scout ahead for us?"

"The mask is two fold. To protect Maitland from detection as well as from the elements.  I think a sick person is not strange to this land considering the wonders here that are rumored to heal all manner of illness and curses," Adruus reassures the party. "Ophelia I do thank you for the spell. It's a magocracy here you see so a show of magic is less suspicious than none at all," he adds his tone serious. "Shall we go," he then asks.

Adruus steps forward as the magic disc follows him and Ophelia.  The porters have arrived to secure luggage and it need not be worried about. The party gathers what gear they brought and follow the monk and the comatose Maitland. 

Jada is fatr too distracted by the amount of people, humanoid and creature alike, and doesn't notice anyone in particular watching the party. They move onto the dock that's about 40ft long and 30ft wide.  It's a dizzying 15 stories from the ground however with steady air traffic around it!

Adruus is keen to leads to the Set villa. The party gets on what's best described as an elevator to the street level and enters the organized chaos that's the skyport arrivals area. The party now can secure transportation to the villa not before going through the officials interviewing all passengers and goods coming into the City of Mages.

OOC Other perception check can be a made.

Ophelia whispers a command to Minerva, who takes to the skies once they reach the ground. The familiar circles the group, watchful for signs of trouble.

Minerva's perception: 8 

The bustling crowd and traffic reminds him a bit of the chaotic nature of his home in Limbo. He is distracted, but continues to be vigilant as they travel. He looks to Adruus "How do we secure transportation. Do we wave someone to us?"

OOC: My edits aren't posting correctly, sorry. 

Minerva looks out onto a busy city but as she approaches the open air outside the skyport docks above a sharp crackle of energy alerts the owl of an invisible barrier blocking her! She relaizes it prevents her from proceeding beyond the checkpoints where the party stands below. The owl can see however nearly thirty of so checkpoints with a couple hundred other travelers being ushered into lines to be questioned by Me'at Halwa officials and beyond these the busy traffic of people,  carts, and automation systems to convey things as well as people around the city.

"Well, we must go through the officials just there and then I think we hire a cart of some kind to transport Maitland," Adruus begins with a sigh. "I have papers for all of us. Let me do the talking," the monk says. "Anyone questions before we proceed?"

"No. Just lead the way" says Jada. He stands ready to follow Adruus.

"I think I'm pretty clear on what we're doing," Firebrand says solemnly. "I can stay near Maitland, both to act as a bodyguard and, should it prove necessary, provide some divine healing."

“Venemous wasp women, eh?” Glyph strokes his chin, eyes squinting in concentration. “Oh yes, of course! The Venomous Vixens of the Hostile Hive!”

It didn’t hurt that the wasp women were blinded and nearly dead when he encountered them, but he decided to leave that part out. The half-elf greets the dust and chaos with a seemingly involuntary scrunch of the nose, resting one hand on Beatrix’s hilt and the other on his hip. Stepping along behind Arduus and the others, he grumbles, “This dust is going to be the nine hells on my sinuses.”

“Of course, I’d be happy to scout ahead for the group once we’ve passed the checkpoint!” Glyph raises the blazing gold hood over his head and snaps a finger. “I can be quite . . . sneaky, when I need to be.”