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" Beautiful but also dangerous?  So basically us?", she laughs as she throws and arm around each of Jenna and Leelas shoulders and moves them forward.

" So....food.....how much food will there be?"

 Leela smiles at Sel's comment, her jaw cracking a little after the tension she has been holding ever since their arrival in the city. 

Jenna turns serious for once as she looks at Adhida and Maanai 

“I am sorry if we were less than subtle. We certainly drew attention to ourselves.”

"Well, we're just lucky our uncle Lord Kassim is out," Adhida explains next looking to Maania who chuckles softly. "Although we are at the head of this task of recovery he will certainly want to speak to the party when he returns from his evening but I can not say when that might be, unfortunately.

"He's attempting to earn back his influence over the Queen Regent since she publically renounced his council," Maania confesses with an odd sort of gloating in their tone before they sigh melodramatically as Adhida frowns. "So, not in the mood for a party dear cousin," Maanai then asks Adhida with a pleasant tone verging on teasing.

"As you know I am a scholar, not a courtier like our uncle cousin," Adhida smirks at Maanai who laughs out loud before she hushes them setting down the magically lit lantern and gesturing for the party to follow her into the house from the conservatory into another room connected to the conservatory.

"Well, I was never a courtier Hiddy," Maanai calls out with a soft tone to their cousin as they move into the palace behind her turning to gesture for the party to follow them. "At best I was a jester for the king and as we both know my favor," they pause gesturing at their masked face, "was lost long ago before our uncle's misstep," they add with a shrug of their shoulders.

Adhida leads the party through a large area with a water feature in the middle. The water smells fragrant, like jasmine, and is filled with lit candles floating on the water. Adhida and Maanai move through the space and descend a short staircase. The party finally passes through a set of large reinforced double doors walking into a dark wood-paneled room. The walls are lined with bookshelves groaning with books, a large table of apparatuses that look like they are distilling various liquids, and all manner of objects of Adhida's possible invention. In the far corner of the room sits a large desk. It's set in front of a corner with the back of the chair positioned into the corner so that whoever is seated can see the doors. Beside the chair sits a pillar with a large cushion atop it. There on the cushion sits a gray and white-winged cat-like creature with an owl's face, a reskinned tressym. It's cleaning its feathers. As the party enters the winged creature's large amber eyes flash as the animal disappears from sight!

"Ameen it's rude to hide from our guests," Adhida chides the creature but it remains invisible!

Moving into the workspace a clashing barrage of books and partial as well as obviously magically imbued objects.

"Please, I will only be a moment before we go to the dining room," Adhida explains as she riffles through papers on her desk taking up what looks like a book and a set of spectacles.

Selinaes face lights up at the sight of Ameen, then falls as they vanish from sight, " Kitty gone...."

Leela looks around at the objects. Does she recognise any of the items? perception 25

"My lady Adhida, Emissary Maanai, your family look to be a collectors of some repute. By chance have you heard of a treasure recently brought to this city - a moonstone carved with the shape of an eye, set with diamonds? Somewhat like the image on my amulet here." She indicates the chain around her neck. 

"I have been to many places beforey but this realm never fails to surprise me again and again" - says Riw looking at the tressym, then turns to the cousins. - "Sorry about my lack of knowledge, but who is your uncle, Lord Kassim exactly? I mean, what is his role in the realm?"

"Kassim was on the privy counsel to the Queen Regent as well as to the former king Seqenenre Ta'a. He's also a powerful transmutation mage but not the best I have ever seen," Adhida explains to Riw having gathered the items she needs from her desk before leading the party out of the workspace through the conservatory and then into an outdoor courtyard with another large water feature gurgling in the center of a beautiful mosaic of different colored stones creating whirling patterns. 

"Here at last," Arduss calls from a balcony above the party. The courtyard has three levels. The ground level the party is currently in, a second level where Arduus stands, and a third that looks to be more open with the occasional shadow of a figure passing along it. "Maitland is comfortable," the monk explains. "I will join you now. Thank you Adhida for the loan of your maid. She's quite adapted at caring for the ill," he adds disappearing before reappearing on a spiral staircase that leads down to where the party is gathered in the mosaic courtyard. "I am grateful you all made it to the villa and I again apologize for my sudden exit but I am sure you can understand the necessity of such a drastic measure," he adds looking over the group.

"Yes, well, of course, I will lend whatever aid I am able to make professor Maitland comfortable," Adhida says to Arduus as Maanai skirts to the outside of the group pointedly away from Arduus who gives the masked figure a quick glance but then returns his gaze to Adhida.

"Much appreciated," Arduus bows slightly to Adhida his symbol of Ioun flashing at this chest before he quickly tucks it away.

"I was just leading the others to dinner Arduus. Would you join us? We have much to discuss," Adhida then explains as Maanai continues to walk through the arched doorway with two large heavy wooden doors standing open leading the party into a massive banqueting hall.

The table however is unlike most any of the party has seen. The floor around it is littered with large, over stuff cushions to sit on and the table itself seems to come about midcalf height to an average-sized figure. The table that is relatively low to the ground is dressed in white tablecloths trimmed with gold or silver. There are platters of all manner of fruits centered between every three place settings with several pitchers of wine spread throughout the table. There are twelve places set on the U-shaped table where there is not really a head to the table but a center position where the person seated here would have a full view of all the guests seated with them. The place settings too are quite inviting with finely crafted utensils made of silver and ornately gilded ceramic plates. 

"Please, sit where ever you'd like," Adhida explained gesturing out at the table as she moves to the center seat with Maanai taking her left side and Arduus sitting to her right.

Jenna looks around nervously as the winged cat disappears. Then, trying to look like she is not afraid of cats let along flying invisible cats, she wanders over to the apparatus.

"This reminds me of my mother's still, her home brew was legendary"

Selinae immediately moves to a far end of the table and sits down, then waits awkwardly for the others to do likewise...

Riw try to find a place which is equally distant from their hosts and Sel. He doesn't want to separate himself from the Barakah-Sets but also doesn't want to leave Sel alone as the goliath looks very uncomfortable at this place.
"Thank you Lady Adhida for the quick catch up about your uncle!" - Then he turns to Arduus and Maanai. - "Now, as we are among friends, may I ask what is the thing about these masks? Lady Adhida is the first one we have met who isn't wearing one."

(Sorry my last post seemed to have crossed with the move from the study....weird because I'm sure I refreshed the page)

Jenna's eyebrows go up in surprise as she hears Riw's question, but she is also eager to hear the answer. She takes a seat next to Sel

(@Tru - my posts have been doing all sorts of weirdness this week, so you're not alone!)

Leela follows the group to the dining room, smiling in relief when she hears Arduus' news about Maitland. She sits next to Jenna, perching a little uncomfortably on the cushion, her shield clanking on the floor as she tries to arrange herself neatly. 

After seeing Maanai seeming to avoid Arduus on the way in, she watches the two of them, trying to work out if Maanai is avoiding Arduus from dislike or something else. insight 17

Maanai moves quickly away but wearing the mask their features are inscrutable.  Arduus however looks curiously at Maanai his face seems curious as well to why the emissary is avoiding him!

"Please,  tell me. Do you have any questions for me or Maanai? I have never made the trip to Dendarah myself but I have studied the journey for many months now. Maanai however has sailed on the Scorched Sea before," Adhida explains just as a couple attendants appear with trays of cooked grains and even more fruits and vegetables. 

Pointedly there doesn't seem to be meat if any kind served at this dinner!

Selinaes face lights up at all the food, just like Mum makes...different spices but similar enough that she feels a lot of the tension leave her...

" Any particular dangers on the journey we should know about?", Sel said as her hands hovered over dishes unsure if she was allowed to start eating.

Leela's eyes widen at the array of foods in front of her. She reaches out and selects a spoonful of richly sauteed green vegetables. 

Her attention is caught by Sel's question and she echoes, "Yes, what can you tell us about particular dangers and challenges of this trip? And can you suggest a guide for us?"

Jenna nudges Sel “It’s okay….you can eat”

And she helps herself to a plateful.

"Please, eat," Adhida exclaims realizing she's being a bad host! "I hope these dishes are to your liking.  If not my kitchen will gladly prepare more palatable food," she nods helping herself to what looks like a grain and vegetable dish with a yellow curry sauce!

Maanai doesn't eat just observes everyone before speaking. 

"Many dangers," Maanai begins.  "The weather,  pirates, and beasts that call the Scorched Sea their home. We will find a sabd skiff to travel to Dendarah but it's not free of dangers, " they add hands clasped together their tone calm.

"It's a week and a day by sand skiff but nearly a month going through the desert itself, " Adhida adds. "The beasts too can be dealt with.  The skiff doesn't cause much disturbance of the sand which most of the beasts are attracted too. We will have shelter from the elements on the skiff and accommodations below decks! As for pirates," Adhida says pausing to take a sip of wine, "I've made provisions for negotiating," she nods confidently!

Selinae grinned buoyed by the excellent food and the news that they would be ship-board again...well, skiff-board....

She demolished her 12th fiteer baladi and sizeable helpings of various vegetable, chickpea and fruit dishes, " Sounds good, how big is the crew complement on a skiff?  Do they work much the same as a sky-ship?"

Riw takes a plate, seemingly choosing mainly legumes and different sauces. He also take some red and dark fruits. 
"These are good for your muscles" - he points to the legumes while talking mainly to Sel - "and these fruits are good for your blood! A wise healer told me this years ago after one of my injury. Helped me recover quickly."

After finishing his meal he leans back in his chair and turns to Maanai. "What kind of beasts can we expect? No more lions with human woman head, right? Right?"

Leela munches her vegetables. "Hmm, many dangers..." she mutters, before replying to Riw. "Yes, let us hope we meet no more lamia!"

She turns to Adhida. "Pirates? Are there a lot of thieves out on the sands? Big organised groups, or do they tend to be smaller independent operators?"