Selinaes head began to swivel of its own accord seeking any unattended foodstuffs....

Riw turns to Jenna: "She didn't say you can teleport to anywhere with it. We might have found ourselves in a very bad place...But yes, I get the irony of it."

Leela adds, "Besides, I still can't read it... I don't know if speaking the scroll without understanding it would do something terrible instead of the intended effect. I will consult further with Lady Adhida on the journey -- I'm sure she will know more about it."

Leela can tell there's an animosity and regret between the family members. 

It takes several minutes but Adhida with Maanai's help pack up her research and personal items. Then the party sets off. Maanai however goes ahead of the party who's escorted by Adhida in carts to the outskirts of the city on the port on the Scorched Sea called the Silver Barrier that holds back the ever shifting sands. 

The party finds Maanai haggling with a sand skiff captain attempting to load Adhida's gear ahead of the party.

"Ah," Maanai says looking over the varying emotions on the party's faces looking at the sand skift. "I assume you are all content to board," they ask. "This might be our best bet to reach Dendarah in one piece," they explain gesturing at the sand skiff!

Harpy, it's now being crewed by three individuals plus the captain. The captain a tall, harpy eagle wearing loose fitted clothing in shades of blue wearing an amulet of Aten. Her feathers are an opalescent white flecked with gold that looks like gemstones shimmering in the late morning sun! She greets the party warmly with but doesn't linger. She moves to a wheel as the crew, all female aarakocras in various shades of gray and white, help the party load gear. After the gear is loaded they move to their positions onboard to set sail.

"Rooms below with open doors are available," the captain calls out to the party as she consults a map whole Maanai gestures at it too.

The party is able to move about freely as the crew gets the Harpy underway.

Selinae looked happy to be aboard ship once more, though one slightly smaller and less grand than her usual.

" Anything we can assist with, Captain?  Myself and Jenna are experienced sky-ship crew."

"Yes, well ever sail the sands of the Scorched Sea,"  Vannya the beautiful gray aarakocra asks with a smile. "It's the same I grant you. Much appreciated," the captain adds.

"Our future awaits," Maanai announces as the skiff moves from the Silver Barrier docks through a now visible magic field holding the desert back!

OOC  I'd like a travel roll moving forward!

"Sea, sky and now sand. Whatever next" Jenna grins but looks over the skiff with interest. "How is it powered?"

Leela stands looking out away from the port, over the sands, feeling the wind brush through the hairs on her face. 

After they pass through the magical field, she turns, looking for Adhida so she can converse more with her about the scroll. 

[OOC - I'm unfamiliar with "travel roll" - is that a survival roll? ]

OOC travel roll is 1d100 without modifiers to predict the days travel

"We use broomstone," Vanya answers Jenna pointing to the stones glowing a cyan blue at the bow and stern of the sand skiff. "Same as a skyship just a smaller scale," the aarakocra adds. "How long have you and Selinae been sailing, " she then asks curiously cooking her head to the side.

At the starboard side of the skiff the vessel bobbing rhythmically over the dunes below hovering about 10 ft off the sands Adhida looks lost in her thoughts as Leela approaches. 

"Hello, " Adhida says before the minatour says a chance to speak. "I...I do hope we find your relic," she adds next looking concerned.

55

Selinae smiles at Vanya, " Most of my life, since I was 12."

44

Leela smiles gently at Adhida. "Me too, my lady." Her large cowlike eyes moisten. "And I hope we find your relic too," she adds.

"My lady, the scroll we found... it was dropped by the lamia who attacked us on the way to your fair city. Is a humble cleric such as myself able to wield such a scroll, not knowing the language it contains? Or is it better used by someone familiar with the language?" 

"I was born onboard a sand skiff and have been onboard since," Vanya smiles at Selinae. "How long have you sailed together, " she then asks gesturing between the two sky sailors.

"I can teach you the words but if you're not confident I wouldn't recommend you use it," Adhida replies frowning. "Magic especially the arcane is dangerous to wield even in the most capable hands," the young mage adds.

OOC taking Damian_May travel roll of 55. I will use valeskah 44 for the next travel roll.

Once the City of Mages is in the distance, just a sparkling light on the horizon. The party and sturdy sand skiff, the Harpy, is surrounded by the Scorched Sea. Miles upon miles of unforgiving desert stretching out as far as the eyes can see in all directions.

Then hours into the journey those on deck see in the distance as rhey approach a strange looking boulder, the only odd space ahead not just another dune! As they get closer they can really appreciate the size of the stone that  also seems to be a huge sculpted hand made out of the stone stranded in the desert. 

"Look...it's the hand of Sol-Ray Ta'a," Adhida exclaims moving to the side of the skiff and pointing out to the hand that's reaching out of the barren desert as if trying to grasp at the sun itself! "Anjara as a kingdom has been ruled by former king Seqenenre's forefathers for a thousand years. Unfortunately, his great-grandfather, Sol-Ray Ta'a, was a rumored to have become a lich to cheat death. Controlling his own dynasty for nearly three hundred years unaposed until his own son, the father of Seqenenre Ta'a challenged the lich king's rule. Sekhemkhet Ta'a, the grandson of Sol-RayTa'a ams Seqenenre's father, won the coup and assumed the throne with the support of the priests of Sol-Aten. These priests had begun to distrust king Sol-Ray Ta'a. The necomancer king had delved too deeply in the dark arts which were growing harder and harder to control for the priesthood. Although originally supported by the priests of Sol-Aten a faction left the main temple to continue to worship Sol-Ray Ta'a as a god even after Sekhemkhet had thought he had successfully purged the cult. The priests who survived the purge of the temples cursed Sekhemkhet Ta'a's family line. The cult to Sol-Ray Ta'a made itself a target again when Seqenenre Ta'a took the throne. The only surviving child of Sekhemkhet wrought his vengeance! Seqenenre had been trained as a priest of Aten and rose to status as king after his father was assisnated by the lich king's secret cult. Seqenenre Ta'a purged the temples again but also left the holy city of Sol,  their stronghold, to construct Me'at Halwa out of the ruins of an ancient coastal shrine to Aten. Seqenenre was a gift to all mages. A great king who let welders of non-divine magics come out of hiding and gave us a chance to practice openly. To finally have the royal favor. After this Seqenenre realized the power of the arcane and that faith was dividing his people. Seqenenre Ta'a turned the kingdom form the worship of Sol-Aten to simply Aten, a purified from of Sol-Aten. He also wisely allowed other gods and goddesses to be worshiped. The great king's sole condition was that no god or goddess could cast doubt on Aten or worship the lich king. He and his wife Kurru, also priest of Aten, then had a daughter named Nefru-Nefru. The princess is now the only living Ta'a hier directly descended from Sol-RayTa'a, the defeated lich king. Together with the Queen Regent and newly elevated arcane mages we built the city of Me'at Halwa. After the mystery  death  of Seqenenre the Queen Regent allowed the council of mages to remain. They fully realized the political system governing Anjara but specifically Me'at Halwa that  Seqenenre Ta'a wished. I only...I only hope to regain the Queen Regent's favor and continue the legacy for my people to be free to practice the arcane arts and worship as they choose," Adhida finishes looking around to gage the party reactions. 

21

“It was my first time crewing on an airship. But I spent many years on the sea” her response is deliberately vague

After his good sleep at night, Riw keeps his rejuvenated and cheerful mood. He whistles appreciatively when he saw the sand skiff.
"That's another fine ship! A bit smaller than the airship we took to arrive here, but still a fine one!"
He nods to Vanya and says: "I don't have a sailing experience, but let me know if I can help with something!"

(Travel roll: 63)

Selinae is staring at Adhida in rapt attention, " That was awesome"

Jenna stares at the great hand hewn from solid rock as she listens to Adhida’s, trying to absorb their words
”And the cult to Sol-Ray Ta'a is still strong today?” She asks

Leela nods at Adhida's words. "That is an amazing sight. Yours is a worthy hope."

Later, at an opportune moment, Leela approaches Adhida again. "My lady Adhida, I have been considering your words. This scroll... maybe you should take it. It will be better used by someone such as yourself who is experienced with arcane magic. I am content with the assistance my Goddess grants me." 

She proffers the scroll. 

"Yes, sadly. This cult has influenced our Queen Regent my uncle is sure and has blocked him from the counsel chamber. I hope to find the artifacts of my ancestors who added to thwart Sol-Ray Ta'a nearly a hundred years ago," Adhida explains to Jenna.  The mage then turns to Leela. "I will use it wisely to protect us," she adds nodding and accepts the gift. "Here," she then says quickly and quite giddy.  "I have a scroll in common arcane you will certainly be able to use. It's pretty useful considering, " she explains getting out a scroll case and removing a rust colored parchment. "It's called move earth. My gift to you," she adds in exchange for the other scroll of teleaportation.  "Why...did the death gaurdian come aboard you think," she asks Leela next very curious. 

Leela accepts the scroll gravely, with a bow. "I thank you for this gift, my lady. It will indeed be useful on our journey." She stows it in her bag. 

"The lamia... I am unsure. It told us there was an enemy on board it was searching for, someone who had done it great wrong and bore its curse. I -- We -- assumed it must be Maitland, since they are under a curse. But the lamia would tell us no more and did not confirm our assumption before it was dispatched."