Jenna look across at Adhida "With respect, you should never trust pirates, whether it's on the seas, in the skies or on the sand. Negotiate all you want, but if they think there may be a bigger pay off, or a prettier face, you won't shake them off."

Her eyes flash angrily as she says 'prettier face'

"Beasts of all sorts," Maani begins with a chuckle. "Sand Hyrdras, the Great Worms, and the Shades that come in the night. It's said they are necromancers from long ago who tried to convert the Scorched Sea into viable land to make Anjara prosperous but failed and the desert took them," they add their voice sounding oddly excited and not wary at all of such horrors.

"Pirates are organized by the very ruling families here rumor says as well as those who work on their own," Adhida explains. "Many in the city can literally make their own wealth so I don't see the point in the skullduggery but many simply want what others have because they are spiteful or vain," she adds frowning.

"I suspect the ship we hire will have a minimal crew as our mission is a secretive one and the more people who know the more danger we stand of being discovered," Adruus speaks for the first time from his plate of fresh fare. "I would like to join you all but alas my place is here with Maitland. Should they pass..." the monk pauses with a morose expression on his handsome blue-toned face, "while you are away I should be here to make sure they received their proper place at the temple," the monk explains as Adhida continues to frown and nods.

"Yes, well there's a big day of travel ahead of us, and as much as I'd like to sit here and discuss the what ifs and wherefores I have a captain to seek out and a ship to hire," Maani explains getting up from their empty plate and goblet! "Rest well everyone," they say before moving passed a seated Adhida and tousling her hair like a teasing sibling which makes Adhida's resting smile return.

"Negotiate the best price but pay for discretion," Adhida called after Maanai.

"Have I ever had a hard time haggling dear cousin," Maanai chimes back before giving the room a slight bow then disappearing into the corridor and into the night.

 "Yes, well your rooms are on the west wing of the villa just through there," Adhida says after about another half an hour of discussing the journey ahead. "Jamal will take you," she adds gesturing as a lizardfolk crocodile-like figure in beige robes. "Anything you should want or need just ask," she adds pausing to await any last requests before retiring herself.

Leela gives a commiserating glance to Arduus as he speaks of Maitland.

As she rises to retire, she pauses to speak to Adhida privately. "My lady, I have seen many wonders in your home, and I admire your family's eye for art. 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. 

"No," Adhida says with a frown. "It doesn't mean it's not here. Let me ask some of my colleagues and see, " Adhida replies as the party goes to their perspective rooms to rest.

The party is given individual rooms on a single hallway. Each is lavishly furnished with varying views of the carnivorous gardens below. The evening passes with event. During the night Leela receives a visit from Arduus. Maitland is still unconscious but Arduus has been able to make brief mental links to the professor who's still alive in their seemingly lifeless shell!

Awaken quite late, allowed to sleep in, the party is invited to a large breakfast who is awaiting them. Adhida yet again is host but Maanai is absent.  Lord Kassim is present. As the head of the Barakah-Set family he is seated at the head of the table. The gentleman is eating his breakfast alone but there are enough places set for the party to seat themselves. The breakfast is self serve much like the dinner the night  before. These fruits,  vegetables,  and grain based dishes kept warm or cool depending on need by magical means of heat or frost!

Kassim Barakah-Set is a tall man with handsome dark features, silver flecked dreadlocks, and fine robes. He's a lot younger than the party expected the head of the Barakah-Set family to be even with the silver whisps in his hair as well as the wrinkles at his eyes and mouth from smiling.

Leela thanks Adhida for her trouble and retires to her room. As is usual for her evening ritual, she sits at the window and prays to the Goddess Selune, begging for guidance and peace. Without much hope, she casts the locate object spell to see if the temple artifact is near. 

While Aardus is speaking with her, she asks the Goddess for guidance upon him. She knows its effects are brief and tiny, but hopes that it may at least help him to communicate more easily with the professor.

Jenna sleeps well and wakens late. She freshens up and makes her way the dining hall.

She greets Ahida and bows her head politely to Lord Kassim before taking a seat at the table.

"Thank you for your hospitality"

Selinae did not sleep well, she was unused to sleeping alone in a room and without the slight vibration and rock of the airship she slept fitfully and rose the next morning looking a little haggard.

She did her best to arrange herself and followed Jenna in, " Good Morning, Your Lordship.  Lovely home you have here."

Leela enters the dining hall, refreshed from her sleep. She bows to Kassim. "My lord. I thank you for your hospitality."

She seats herself opposite Sel and asks her in a low voice "Did you not sleep well last night, my friend? You look a little worse for wear."

OOC Selinae want to give me a CON save?

"These are the adventures professor Maitland brought from his homeland uncle, " Adhida explains to Lord Kassim who looks at each party member in turn before his dark eyes settle on Adhida. 

"Ah, yes. Maitland," Kassim says sighing  loudly his expression clearly disappointed. "Your old tutor owes a great debt to our family. I was hoping the reason for their return would be to settle it once and for all," the aristocrate says curtly. "So, how is it you all have come together and committed yourselves to upholding this debt," he theb asks curiously furrowing his manicured eyebrows before sipping a coffee that's rich smell premeates the air!

Leela bows again towards Kassim. "My lord, I am Leela, priestess of Selune. I was travelling to these lands searching for a lost treasure from my temple that seems to have been brought here recently. My road coincided with Professor Maitland's, so I agreed to assist with the expedition. I hope we will be able to support Maitland's dream to repay their debt to your family."

Jenna looks at Sel with concern, before turning to Lord Kassim.

“Jenna La Trobe at your service. I am a late comer to the party, having joined the group onboard the airship. But I happily commit myself, and my sword if required, to the cause”

After the introductions are over, Leela pulls out the undecipherable scroll. She unrolls it slightly as she asks Adhida, "My lady, would you be able to advise us who might be able to translate this scroll for us?"

"I thank you for joining my niece on this quest. We must retrieve the artifacts without the wrong people finding out " Lord Kassim replies. "The task ahead isn't easy and the way to Dendarah is perilous. I pray that Aten lights your path," the regal man nods his head with a sincere expression.

As Leela hands Adhida the scroll the young  mage takes it and unrolls it. Then in an instant the mage sees the script she beams looking up at Leela and the party.

"I can read it Leela," Adhida exclaims. "It's a  teleaportation spell, " she adds. "It's very rare.  Where did you come upon it," she adds curiously. 

( Con Save: 8)

Selinae made a vague hand waving motion and then ventured, " I'm in too! if thats ok..."

"Yes. All of you are very welcome to join our quest, " Maanai says entering the dinning room in sweeping light gray robes with a matching headcoverring and a less ornate but still well made mask. "Sorry to miss breakfast but I did find a ship and a crew," they explain.  "Whenever we're ready we can begin," they add taking an shiny red apple off the top if a pile and putting it into their robes.

"Yes, excellent, " Adhida replies quickly standing. "Mark me uncle we will be successful," the young mage bows to Lord Kassim who seems overly concerned by Maanai's appearance. 

"Are you not going to greet me my nephew, " Lord Kassim asks Maanai making Adhida visiblely wince at the title of familiarity thier uncle uses.

"Greetings Lord Barakah-Set as you know I have given up those titles and will ask you again for your support in my choices, " Maanai replies seemingly calm and unemotional about the slight.

"Your devotion to the city bewilders me but your involvement in our family's welfare is even more foreign to me now than that mask you wear," Kassim says his tone hard but with also a hint of grief.

"Good morning uncle. May we have fair winds and make good speed on our quest to restore the family honor," Maanai says bowing deeply before disappearing from the room.

Adhida sighs loudly looking to her uncle. 

"We will be successful.  I  hope we both,  we all," Adhida gestures out to the party, "return," she adds next with a curt Boe to Lord Kassim.  "Shall we begin, " she then asks the party before handing Leela back the scroll.  "You will share the story of how you came upon this," she adds moving away from the table and towards the direction Maanai disappeared!

Leela grasps the scroll as Adhida passes it back to her, and packs it back carefully in her bag. "My deepest thanks, Lady Adhida, we found --" She trails off as the lady exits the room. "Sure, I'll tell you later," she mumbles half to herself. 

Leela finishes her plateful of greens and grains in a few gulps, eyeing the interplay between Kassim and Maanai. What can she decipher between them? insight 18

Riw appears at the moment Leela gets the scroll back from Lady Adhida.
"Excuse me for being late, the burden of the last few days and your excellent hospitality buried me into a deep sleep. Did I miss anything? Oh, is that the scroll from the lamia?"

Leela turns to Riw. "Yes, Lady Adhida recognised it as a teleportation spell!"

Jenna looks up at Riw with a grin “Seems that it’s a spell of teleportation. Ironic that we had that all this time.”