LibriumArcana.Games

Deep in the red sands of the desert, to the north and west of the heart of line drawn by the Nari there exists a shining jewel of a place, an onyx gem set against the wastes. Cradled between hills like a pendant hanging between the bosoms of a bejewelled harlot, the city of Ptara Dedasire sits, the rich and influential but ignored whore of the Naridelk Empire. Far from the lifegiving Nari River, the city exists to keep the oasis out of the hands of the desert nomads and fattens itself off the trade they bring. Long lines of camels, asses, and horses bring silks, linens, wheat, and the unwanted sons and daughters of the empire from the south and east and while similar processions bring spices, mercenaries and iron from the north and west.

Hewn from the dark stone of the ground a great pyramid sits at the centre of the city, the mountainous fortress that exists to protect the subterranean city of the nocturnal dark elves, unseen by the eyes of outsiders. Limned with magical fires made permanent, the peak burns with pale, harmless purple, green, and blue flames visible at night. Stretching out from one of its bases, protected and contained by thick, fortified walls, is the reason for the city, the pool of water formed by the oasis. Shining gold during the day and reflecting silver moonlight at night, the pool is the damming of the flow of water, leaving only the local wells and canals controlled by the dark elves as a source of the life giving liquid.

Stretching out from the walls about the pyramid are the adobe walled apartments and warehouses for the slaves and the bazaars constructed by the merchants. Flapping banners of brilliantly dyed silk compete in the markets as the merchants hawk their wares, robed caravan traders bringing all manner of goods in and out of the city, enriching all but those who could actually use wealth instead of those who already have it.

Spread like stubble about the main entrances of the city are the villas and plantations of the nobles to proud to dwell in the subterranean apartments of the inner city, large fields of hardy wheat contrasting with smaller gardens and olive groves about small adobe homes, the surface housing for the servants and slaves of those who dwell beneath. Eventually these dwellings too peter out as the solid stone, having gone wandering from the mountains far away, fades away to the shifting sands.

Many come to Ptara Dedasire for many reasons. Brown robed gnomes mill about with colourfully veiled human women while elven slaves select the finest dried fruits for their masters from rainbow plumed hobgoblins. Day and night shadowed deals go on in back alleys, enforced by black obsidian and gleaming bronze. Red eyed auditors sneer at red faced merchants as they extort their due. It is not a place for the faint of heart or the unwary, but for the brave and clever, the promise of wealth and power ever dangles just out of reach.

Looking out at the horizon, Sylas let loose a sigh, he had not had to waste any arrows in the past few days, instead handling what came his way with a wide berth. Combat with a pair of hyenas, even for one as skilled as him, is not a way to start the morning. He had unfortunately not had morning meal because of needing to avoid the two dogs. His stomach was growling because of that.

Grabbing up his backpack from where he had set it on a rock he began the trek down to the town he had once visited before. He had set off with a caravan back to where he had come from but had engaged in a friendly game of bones with a trader on the caravan who reneged on his bets. Suffice it to say Sylas was not a happy mercenary with that tradesman.

Reaching the gates of the fortified oasis, Sylas prepared for his day to get a lot weirder. Hopefully he would find more work so he could finally be able to get a life in order for himself, 'Wait a second, do I want my life in order? I am the best bowman in and out of the Elven lands for my experiences. I am young but still there is much to learn. Maybe I should concentrate more on improving my bow-craft.'

With such thoughts running through his head he walked into town and past the majority of the vendors, headed for the local drinking establishment where he would find himself a nice nubile young elf maiden and do terrible things to her for the right price to her master.

Riding into town, a man followed by his wolf companion look around. Normally this would be an odd sight but the desert oasis was quite used to the unusual. Passing all sorts of oddities of civilization that started to make the skin crawl on the young man's neck. Such things were not natural and thus should not be. He was uncomfortable in this place but knew here he could find what he needed to become the powerful shaman he needed to be to wrest control of his people from his usurping and idiotic brother before it was too late.

As a goblin looked at the wolf with hunger it turned and stared him down. "Down Gash." the young man muttered. The wolf obeyed its master as the young human dismounted his heavy horse in front of the stables. Spying a young elf boy cleaning an empty stall he raised his voice slightly over normal speech and said "Oey! Stable-hand! I am looking to stable this horse. Fetch your master so that I may speak to him."

Having meandered for days almost lost in the dunes, Grath was not a happy camper. He stretched his legs as he awoke and noticed now that there was a cart passing by only a few hundred feet away. Picking up his gear he quickly dashed towards the fellow travelers. In trade tongue he approached them cautiously "I am Grath, servant of Chixulxuxka. I wish to travel with you to the nearest oasis."

The goblin in the lead responded heavily, "Be costing you to travel with us."

The Chixulxuxkaite warrior looked down and reached into one of his belt pouches producing a pair of moonstones. "I trust this will suffice my passage along with the skill of my spear?" Hefting his very large spear up a foot he made motion to hand over the gems. The gems slid easily from his palm into that of the goblin.

"Good, this shall do. You sit here with me." The goblin pointed at the seat next to himself on the cart but Grath refused poitely.

"I shall ride in the back if that is okay, I am tired from all the tracels I have been doing and I would like to rest more." Grath simply stated.

"No touchie in the back..,"

"You have my word of honor." Hopping into the back of the cart he noticed two things off the bat, a single but yet soothing woolen blanked covered the cargo barrels and second off there was a lack of a real stench normally found around most goblinoids. Noting these two things Grath slid up onto the back of the cart and the driver took off.

As the wind broke across his face Grath realized he remembered the smell. It was the smell of death. Something any warrior would remember. Standing guard for himself and his life, he was unsure of what would happen then he remembered gravely of stories he had been told as a pup to stay out of situations like this, not that he much listened to stories told to him in the warrens.

"What is it?" Said Thoth as his Steward came to him with one of the guard.

"My Lord, This guardsman was sent with an inquiry"

"Explain" scowled the sorcerer as he stared at a sheet of papyrus, making one last calculating and underlining the results.

"He was wondering if you had finished the Auditing of Hazeed's books"

"I just did. Worm," he said, pausing to look up at the elf clad in leather armor "The accusation is true. Hazeed has been less than honest in his construction contracts. See this line of text? Oh I forgot, you are illiterate slime... In any case he has been depriving his workforce of food and and making them work double shifts, pocketing the money he saves while slowly killing his workforce, slowing and even jeaopardizing completion of the project. I would recommend seizing his assets, then selling him into slavery, after he heals from a very public flogging."

"Yes my lord" said the Guard.

"Is there anything else that brings you before me?" Thoth asked

"No my lord" replied the guard

"Then leave my sight. Do not stray far however. I may have use for you later."

"Yes, Lord"

With that taken care of, Thoth looked to his servant.

"Take this" he said, pulling a sheet of papyrus from another stack on his desk and sealing it with his personal sigil in melted wax. "And inform Lady Ekran that I have completed the design for the new entrance to her Villa. You have my leave to negotiate price. I am asking for 10 small cut diamonds or the equivalent (each worth 2 gp), but am willing to go as low as 5. Go, and do not re-enter my sight until you have returned. And do not let her see the design until she has paid. That was our agreement"

Some caravans preferred a quiet entrance into the city, the Northern Nomads were not among them. The long train of camels stretched past the next dune, the horses and men were resplendent in their outfits as jewels and gold shimmered in the hot sun. The gates were opened and the masters of the North made their entrance.

Among the caravan still waiting to enter, a man, dressed in fine garments of blue and green and wearing gold on his fingers, wrists, and around his neck, sat upon a resplendent black horse, mottled brown. He stared in undisguised awe at the city. Another man on foot came up to the horsed man. "You are gawking, my lord."

The man closed his mouth and looked to the other. "And you did not gawk when you first saw this city, Ibraheem?"

Ibraheem shook his head and smiled. "Yes my lord, but I too was reminded of it."

The younger man smiled as well and turned on his horse, closing in on the rest of the caravan, specifically where a camel sat, surrounded by four dogs while a man was trying desperately to coax the camel up. Two other people, a man and a woman, both well dressed, stood and waited for the others. At the sight of the horsed man getting closer the dogs got up and barked as they ran over to the horse and kept pace with it as it moved.

The horsed man's eyes caught the sight of the giant black mountain that stood at the center of the city and stopped again. Ibraheem looked as well. "What is it, my lord Jabir?"

Jabir grinned. "Just thinking how glorious it all is, and that this is just an outpost."

The camel was finally coaxed to its feet, and the group made their way into the city.

Those entering Ptara Dedasire for the first time were assaulted with a plethora of sensations, of brightly coloured merchants loudly hawking their wares, attempting to shout over each other about the wonders of their products and the deficiencies of their competitors. The rattle of every possible container carrying every possible good created a thrushing, clattering background symphony to the cacophony of the merchants, while the smells of spices, dried fruits, and a dozen different kinds of flour attempted to escalade the nostrils all at once.

For one human in particular, for whom the excesses held little sway, the stables were a more natural and subdued area where the dominant colours were adobe white and sandy red while the primary scent is of manure. While the ruckus of the markets could still be heard, it was somewhat more subdued. When the elf slave heard the human speak, he looked up at him in confusion for a moment before he dashed off. A short time later a hobgoblin wearing a bronze collar as a symbol of his servitude showed up and said in a thickly accented trade tongue, "Master sleep day. Me manage. What you want?"

---

Meanwhile, out in the sands a cart trundled along, the lone goblin riding with it bitterly complaining about the state of the world to no one in particular, although now that he had a passenger perhaps more than the wind would catch his ears.

"Them dark elves, they so arrogant, they charge us extra if we late! That why I alone out here. Hitch break, cheap elf leather, should have bought from home, we goblins, we know how to tan a hide. Rest of carvan, they figure time to wait for me and my goods less than penalty, so they just leave! But I suppose that sort of thing what Hatachuluka teaches. You warrior for Chixulxuxka? Not bad god, but you think he could help us out a little more before death? It not easy being a goblin, no, not easy at all..."

There was the slight suspicion raised that perhaps late penalties from the dark elves wasn't the only reason the goblin had been left behind.

However, the slow winding down of his prattle was something of note as he eventually said, "Uh... hobbie warrior... uh, Grath? You maybe want to get out that spear again?"

Following the pointed finger of the goblin, one can see out on the dunes, the lowering sun nearly concealing them in its glare, there was a line of camels with figures on their back, slowly trudging along.

---

Down in the cool confines of his villa, a dark skinned elf worked, faint illumination provided by candles and diffusing mirrors to allow for the reading of the many papyrus scrolls by those with darkvision... and navigation for those without it.

Just as he was getting back to his work however, his maid entered and bowed her head, stating, "Apologies master, but a note has just arrived for you, a courier from Emressag." Emressag was a local non-noble dark elf who had carved out a successful business as a discrete courier service, employing dozens of couriers in a relay system that could get a message from the undercity to the outskirts within two turns of the hourglass. Those who wished to communicate inconspicuously used his services, and more than a few customers of Thoth's sent requests through Emressag.

After taking the sealed scroll of papyrus, Thoth discovered within a simple message, written in the complex symbolic alphabet he had first studied, but the constructs and forms conforming to a different language with different sounds.

Written in Elven was the phrase "I know".

Ibraheem nodded and said, "It is indeed glorious for just an outpost my lord, although more than a few tribes were fed into the earth to make that black mountain. Caution is always warranted when dealing with the black skinned devils. Speaking of which..."

As the enormous caravan began to enter the city blocks of soldiers, mostly elven slave footmen, their loyalty bought with their families held hostage somewhere far across the horizon and the promise of a life away from toiling in the fields or beneath the earth, began to arrive. There were a few dark elf officers amongst them, females in scandalously revealing silks with bronze hooked swords at their sides hiding beneath the shade provided by canopies carried by quartets of powerfully built hobgoblin slaves.

Spying the well dressed Jabir, one of these warrior woman approached with her entourage and began to chatter away in her language. Ibraheem nodded and turned to Jabir, saying, "She wants to know who is in charge here."

Jabir nodded. The Dark Elf encampment was glorious, and he wanted it for the glory of the tribes. For now, that was impossible. But only for now.

The scantily clad Dark Elves did little to stir Jabir, they always reminded him of a corpse that had been left out in the sun, both in color and in personality.

"Tell her that Ratib Abbud Wahid Kadar Wajeeh is in charge of this caravan. He should already be within the city limits." This was his little brother's expedition, let him deal with the rotten corpses. Jabir looked casually at the ranks of soldiers, keeping an air of one not particularly impressed. "And ask what these soldiers are doing here. Our arrival should have been expected."

Thoth did not acknowledge his slave for a moment, his eyes soaking in the words and his mind racing about what exactly they could mean. Did it matter? No. Not one bit, nor did it pay to speculate about intent. He needed to find who sent this, and make sure they never discuss what it is they do know.

He had a few options as to what he could do. He could attempt to send a response and track the couriers. However that may not work because Thoth did not have instructions for response. Alternatively he could ask Emressag who paid him to send the message. Even if the man did not answer, he could not easily shield his mind from Thoth's spells. He could always try both.

The problem is, he could not appear to be in any way vulnerable or afraid. Otherwise the blackmailer wins. He turned on his slave, quickly giving her little warning

"Describe the courier." He ordered her, in no uncertain terms. He wanted information and was going to get it.

Ibraheem shrugged and rattled off a few things in the tongue of the dark elves, causing the woman to turn up her nose in a sneer and slink off. The translator explained, "Those in charge probably already know what is going on, but each petty noble has to stick their nose in things and try and hassle outsiders. Sometimes they try and extort additional fees, and I don't doubt some in the caravan are already passing over pinches of spice or pearls just to get them to leave. It is the price of business here."

---

Meanwhile Thoth's maid replied, "The courier was just one of Emressag's boys, a lean human youth."

Cresting a particularly large dune, Meexyaalm and his wolf companion, Ripper, took their first look at the dark elf city ahead. "We are finally here Ripper!" Mee exclaimed in goblin to Ripper. Scratching between the wolf's ears, Mee scanned the area ahead and noticed a lone cart with what appeared to have a goblin at the helm. Eager for company of his own kind, the first of which he'd seen in many moons during his journey here, Mee urged Ripper onward, making best speed towards the cart.

"That could easily describe hundreds..." Thoth mused irritably. "Leave me" he finally said, gruffly, leaving his servant to bow low as she existed the dimly lit room.

He would need to wait until An'Dreneline returned. Then he would sent out feelers, seeing who he could potentially hire to track this bastard by proxy, and put him out of his misery without Thoth's hands getting dirty. Barring that, gently "persuade" him not to talk. What would happen if his hirelings found out? He would need people no one who mattered would believe, who no one important would care about if they disappeared. That means new arrivals of human or goblinoid origin.

Now, how to bind them, how to pay them, and how to ensure that he did not have to dispose of more than one corpse. Indeed, how would he recommend they track the individual? Probably through a return dispatch if he could have one sent. He sends a message to whoever paid Emressag to deliver. They follow courier with Echis playing informant. Find either the principle, or his proxy... go from there. Excellent.

Thoth sat down, and began drawing up contracts.

Jabir snorted in disgust. "She should consider herself lucky she did not try such idiocy with me..." Jabir looked around the marketplace and shook his head. He was not a merchant like his brother was, while he appreciated such places, he did not particularly like them. "Miraj, Ibraheem, help to set up shop as soon as they let us. I shall be outside the city walls if something interesting happens."

Jabir turned his horse and began to trot back out the gates, followed closely by four dogs.

Grath was generally a man of swift and immediate action. This was not an exception to the case. Pulling himself to his full height and sliding off the back end of the cart Grath set his great-spear for charge. Taking a second look at the line of camels he focused in on their leader, hoping that it would be fairly easy to dismount him with his spear. In his native tongue he quickly told the goblin merchant, "Quickly, get out of here, return only if it seems if I am victorious. I shall cover your retreat."

Not bothering to worry about the goblin riding the wolf at the moment the large group of raiders seemed the more pressing threat.

Wandering away from the bustle of the market, Jabir soon found himself in the quiet of the villas and farms about the city, watching as elves, men, and goblinoids quietly toiled away for their hidden masters, tending to their gardens. As the day starts to wane however, the dwellers beneath the earth start to emerge, many seeing him as prey.

To one set of eyes, he is a rich outsider in need of shaking down. To another, an opportunity presents itself.

A rapid fire babble assaults Jabir's ears, and turning about he sees an angry looking dark elf man in leather scale with a wicker shield and a short spear shouting at him in a language he does not understand.

From his villa, Thoth sees his neighbour Bannu trying to hustle a human.

Thoth looked out one of his windows just as it happened. Bannu harassing a traveler again. The way some of his neighbors treated foreigners was disgusting. Not because it was wrong, not by a long shot. No, it was disgusting because it was beneath them. It was much better to earn their trust and then use them for your own ends. This was of course exactly what he planned to do.

He went out side and called out in Dark Elf

"Bannu, act according to your station. You are being rude"

Jabir looked with derision upon the Dark Elf that was now accosting him. Beside and slightly behind him, the dogs had come to a stop as well and were crouched and growling at the newcomer. Jabir was considering letting his dogs attack the idiot, and then maybe crushing him under his horse's hooves, when another Dark Elf came out of a villa and started shouting at the armed one.

"Goodie, now they're fighting each other over which one can try to cheat me of my gold." He muttered under his breath. Jabir signaled to his dogs that they were to stay where they were.

Bannu turned away from yelling at Jabir to yell at Thoth. "Rude? I'm being rude! Look at this filthy human just standing there on his horse and with his filthy dogs! I'm sure they've been digging in my gardens and I'll be wanting recompense for that. What is he even doing here? What business does a human have here?"

"If you look, Idiot, he is not on your land, and your gardens have not been dug up. What you are doing is little more than begging. More to the point, this human is here by my will, my business is none of your concern."

He switched to the human tongue and addressed the Human before him.

"My neighbor Bannu claims you have been digging in his garden and is trying to extort you for coin. I have come to your defense, but had to tell him you are my guest. I have a proposition that may be worth your time regardless, so it is only half a lie. Whether you accept or reject my offer, I will extend my protection."

Jabir looked rather surprised when the Dark Elf started to speak in the tongue of man, but any look of surprise was lost in anger as he turned and gave this Bannu a look that would turn a desert snake inside out. "Tell this pathetic vulture that my dogs have not touched his gardens, but if he is so desperate for gold I would be more than happy to let them and my horse loose in his garden and then pay him compensation."

Jabir looked back to Thoth then, his dark gaze only partially gone. "Your assistance is appreciated, but I have little need for protection." Jabir paused. "As for your proposition, it must not be particularly worth my time if you are willing to give the job to a random person off the street."

"Beg! Ha, I am merely demanding what is mine! Look at this wretch, look how he wears finery as if his species were deserving of it! And you cannot prove that he didn't do anything to my garden. Why any inspec..." Bannu then thought better of what he was going to say, suddenly realizing that Thoth was an inspector and that he obviously wasn't feeling like putting up with his bullshit.

However, as Thoth and Jabir spoke in the human tongue he said, "Listen to how this beast speaks to his host! I should summon my guards and remind him whose city this is!"

---

Meanwhile out in the desert a trio of arrows were loosed into the air, their launch noticed by Meexyaalm but not by Grath, who still had the riders mostly lost in the glare of the sun. All three thunked into the sand, but two carried blood on the edges of their razor sharp blades, having slashed deep lines across Grath's left forearm and his right thigh. While the three loosed their arrows, the other two took the camels without mounts and began to guide them down the opposite side of the dunes, away from the goblinoids.

"Sometimes the most important jobs must be done by intermediaries with no obvious personal connection. It is something neither myself, or my regular associates and surrogates can handle. A stranger is actually required and you seem more than capable of the task. I am willing to make it worth your while, and that of your tribe. Details would have to be discussed inside however..." Thoth thought for a moment, given with what this individual just said, it was likely he hated Dark Elves with a passion that rivaled the heat of a thousands suns. He took a calculated risk.

"And this task might necessitate killing one or more dark elves. No guarantees, but it is rather probable.

It was then he turned around and spoke to his neighbor

"He is under my protection. Attempt to do harm to him, and I will either have the city guard put you in chains, or I will do it myself, after immolating your property"

Bannu blustered and sputtered for a moment before he glared at Thoth and said, "I don't yet see him on your property."

"He was interrupted. And in any case, will it matter when your house is on fire? No. No it wont"

He motioned for Jabir to cross his property line and spoke to him.

"He is trying to play legal semantics with an Inspector. I would suggest getting on my property before he decides to press his luck with my sorcery"