The D&D Dynasty: The New Path of Alzar the Mighty

[Abe Sargent]

The terrain has gotten quite sharp here and Bralizzar lays ahead. They begin to approach the south entrance, and there is a gate here, defended. They are stopped by the guards, and the two Hek that escorted them here move off back home. Meanwhile Alzar and his party explain that they are travelers and looking to buy and sell from the city’s vendors. They are each given a bronze medallion and told to wear it at all times. It shows they have a right to enter the city, but that they are temporary visitors. Each of the members puts it around their head and then move on into Bralizzar.


They pass by the gate and enter. Bralizzar looks very old, and some of the buildings on the edge are crumbling. Meanwhile in the middle is a major road and through fare, and a variety of buildings there. Houses, a variety of kiosks selling various wares, and multiple people of all sorts are here. Clearly this is not just a Hek city. In fact, the Hek appear to be in the minority here.

They pass by vendors selling baskets and foods, mounts and other wares, and all hocking and bidding in a bazaar. Various languages are spoken here, and there is obviously a Sand Mire common tongue that most people can speak, distinct from the Arjuni language Alzar knows. No one else in the party can speak it either, for that matter.

Alzar speaks Arjuni to a few people, just to see, and eventually he finds some merchants that are buying goods from local traders that speak the tongue. He gets a quick lay of the land from them. There are three taverns here, the Swayback Camel, a low class establishment, the House of Mirth for mid-fare, and the Inn of the Golden Palm for the higher class place. They choose the Golden Palm and arrive just before dinner time.

Alzar introduces himself to the innkeeper, a 50 year old woman named Tekuna Chand. The Inn of the Golden Palm was a temple in a former life, but has since been repurposed. It’s on the main street of the town. They check in, pay for food and a night’s stay, and begin to unpack. She speaks most of the local languages, including Arjuni.

[Abe Sargent]

They unpack and get a more detailed explanation of the area. There’s one main operating temple to Anu, and a major stop for the Sandvoyagers, a guild of merchants and soldiers who caravan together to make travel in the Sand Mire less dangerous. This is the easternmost point on the caravan route.

He asks about Aman Al-Raqib, and is pointed to the local sage’s house, just four or five doors down. He heads out while the others get ready for dinner.

Alzar knocks on the door. A chime sounds and a few moments later, a giant man, too large to fit into the door, answers, and opens it gently, blocking entry. He asks, and Alzar introduces himself and asks to meet with Aman Al-Raqib, if he is home. The man refuses entry this late, but after Alzar produces the bone scroll case with the missing information, the half-giant moves away and let’s Alzar into a waiting area.

After a few moments, Aman Al-Raqib arrives, and introduces himself, and they head to a nearby study and office.

“Welcome to Bralizzar, my friend!”

Alzar produces the bone scroll case with the various items, and Aman places them on the table. Aman and Alzar spend a few minutes with introductions. Aman is a sage and a high level magic-user of some repute, who is a member of the college of wizardry over at Khaibar.

Aman answers some of Alzar’s questions, those that he can. He uncovered a tome penned by Martek, an ancient sage and mage of great repute, and he gives Alzar a basic background of information of what has been happening in the Sand Mire.

996 years ago, the Pharaoh Amun-Re was at the height of his power. He had unified the entire area, including all of the various nations, city states, and more, into one great kingdom centered at Khaibar, the capital city at roughly the center of the region.

Amun-Re was terrible and evil, and wrought the kingdom from the blood and tears of many. He was enabled by fanatical priests, soldiers, fantastic creatures that fought by his side, but most importantly, by an Efreet whose services he had secured. In fact, it was no ordinary Efreet, but one of the Efreet Nobles that Amun-Re commanded.

Martek rallied a powerful rebellion against Amun-Re after he found his Sphere of Power, an artifact said to have tremendous powers. Using the Sphere, Martek drove Amun-Re’s noble Efreet to imprisonment, because even with the artifact, he was unable to kill it. Denuded of his most powerful weapon, Amun-Re was brought down a few months later, and left a death curse that began to blacken the land.

As the death curse began, several powerful and evil magicks were released by powerful but vile mages and monsters that sought to enter the power vacuum left behind by Amun-Re’s passing. Martek was felled, but not before finishing the book Aman is reading. The stress to the various incantations and artifacts rendered the land asunder. Most of the waters dried up, and the land begun to turn infertile. Only one river, coming from a magical fountain in a far off city continued to pour.

Meanwhile, Khaibar, suddenly denuded of many of its people and power was the subject of a large scale attack, in force, by a far-flung enemy, who left off with a huge number of gems, the treasury, and two artifacts, the Cup and Talisman of Al-Akbar. Items never seen from again. With the loss of those artifacts, Khaibar fell into a long hard sleep from which it is only slowly emerging.

Then the Dragon of Shade appeared. Rending the territory mostly west of Khaibar, the Dragon pushed an already falling area even further to the brink and beyond. It scourged the area for years before leaving and never being heard from again.

Today the Sand Mire continues to push and threaten. More and more wells are drying up, the river from the magical foundation long since was stopped. The Mire is full of ruins, tombs, pyramids, and more – the remnants of a civilization long since transformed. The Mire did not yield its secrets easily. Undead from the death of the previous civilizations cling to the sands, and numerous monsters of various sorts have entered the area. The entire ecosystem has morphed into something newer and nastier. Bandits are the easiest of the concerns here in the Sand Mire.

The major threats right now are the growing Mire problems, and the growing strife on the western side of the Sand Mire. Locked in battles against each other in a shifting miasma of alliances, the various tribes of locals out there have begun to unite under a leader calling himself or herself The Master. The Master’s tribes are still growing and swelling, but there are there, and becoming a greater nuisance.

The book penned by Martek tells of a ceremony that must be re-done every 1000 yards in order to keep the noble efreet contained. That was 996 years ago, so soon, it must be redone.

In fact, Aman has just finished deciphering and reading most of the book this past week. There are five mystical gemstones that must be gathered and used along with a ceremony mentioned in the book.

[Abe Sargent]

Alzar asks about some other things, like the teleport cubes. They are used by the College to send Aman supplies. They’ll fill up a crate or barrel of something, and then send it on over. Alzar is also interested in learning more of the history of Bralizzar.

This was a sprawling city of around 10000 people about a thousand years ago. It was connected to the Windward Tunnels over by the mountain range that Alzar forged a new path through, A well traveled road, with several forts and towers as well as inns were along the route. After the collapse, the city of Bralizzar was abandoned and remained such for quite some time. A little more than a hundred years ago, the Hek arrived and began to resettle it. They turned it onto a desert waystation of some means. And slowly, over time, others arriving, and now it’s a thriving and growing town of around 1250 or so (around 750 of those actual residents, the rest visiting) at any given point in time.

Bralizzar has to put law first in order to survive. Crimes are treated very seriously, and people coming in with goods from the west gate are required to show trading paper sot enter, to remove the ability to fence raided goods from caravans and merchants.

More than an hour has passed, and Alzar agrees to head back to the tavern for now. They can talk more of stuff in the morning. Aman Al-Raqib stands and shows him to the door.

Alzar returns to a repast of warm food and warmer lighting. After a half-hour or so, Alzar decides that he needs to learn the local language in order to make their way deeper into the Sand Mire.

So he hires a teacher, and after 9 weeks, he has learned the Sand Mire Common tongue. He also pays someone at the temple to remove his curse.

Meanwhile, they have learned a lot about the local area. The western side of Bralizzar includes a narrow route known as Northknife Pass. Northknife Pass becomes rather dangerous after leaving behind the sphere of safety around Bralizzar.

Aman Al-Raqib has entreated Alzar to find and uncover the five gems. He doesn’t know where they are just yet, so he asks Alzar to head to the city of Khaibar, and talk with the College there and connect with them. Alzar can deliver his final missive on this project, having finished the book’s decoding. There’s just too many places that they could be. Plus, there’s time, we have four years to find the gems, the ritual, and more.

[Abe Sargent]

Their route from Bralizzar will take them through the Northknife Pass to the full on Sand Mire, and then west and a bit south until they hit Khaibar 11 days later.


They head out the following morning, turning in the Copper Medallions as they do. Alzar rented an apartment in the city, and paying a teacher, providing food, lodgings, and more costs them 1300 GP for the 9 weeks. (That includes the two steeds and guides they picked up from the Hek)


Before leaving they got information on a lot of nearby landmarks once they hit the Sand Mire proper after leaving the Northknife Pass.

They head out and spend a couple of hours leaving behind the sphere of influence of the local town, and their 12 airlancers (They ride Pegasus and help guard the local areas).

Rising abruptly from the wide valley within which Bralizzar lies, the Dustwall forms a formidable barrier to either side as they move along the Pass. Sheer peaks head up on both sides thousands of feet and are virtually unclimbable. The Pass cuts through this barrier. It will continue in switchbacks.

A few more hours pass, and they arrive at a small stream in the pass, with a bit of a ford required to pass it. At the ford it’s about 30 feet wide and not too terribly deep. It takes them an extra half hour to cross, but they do so safely.

After a short while, a solid rock wall of 300 feet high and in front, and suddenly, 8 men appear from the rock wall with arrows and such, and two arrive on the ground to secure items. They bark orders to Alzar’s men to surrender.

Alzar and Tolvar quickly discuss range, and agreeing that they are inside of it, they both cast Sleep and the 8 archers all fall asleep on the ridge above. The two nearby begin to flee and are ridden down and killed by the warriors. They move up and slit the throats of the sleeping bandits. They add some food, ammunitions, and other minor accoutrements to their party, but a Detect Magic spell finds nothing of value among their things.

50 XP for everyone and 22 gp

[Abe Sargent]

They continue for a few hours and arrive at Resurrection Spring. Set 50 feet from the path is this bubbling spring. It’s the last water before the Sand Mire, and they stop, drink down some water from the day’s journey and resupply. They ,move to the place they intend to camp, about 200 yards down the path.

Here is a circle of tethering posts standing near a side trail just beneath the summit of the pass. A small cave entrance is here, and it’s been widened into a larger cave to use as a place to stay. They begin to tether their animals, feed and water them, and more.

As they begin to cook dinner, they see a group of figures down-hill to the north coming towards them. Humanoid. It’s a group of travelers coming back from the Sand Mire, and they are moving to stay in the same place as Alzar’s group. They each share stories, and guard duty as well. The desert right now is windy, dry, and marked with shifting sands.

They break camp, refill their waterskins from Resurrection Spring, and head out into the Sand Mire.

As they leave Northknife Pass, they can see the pyramid tomb of Amun-Re far off. They are going to be using a main Sandvoyager Trail with a variety of posts along the route.

[Abe Sargent]

A few hours into the second day out they come across a large flock of desert kites (scavenger birds sort of like vultures) and they head off the trail to investigate. There are a few dead giant scorpions here, killed with weapons by a party that moved further from the road. They head back.

There are a variety of landmarks near-ish them, such as the Sunken City of Pazar, the lost town of Terbakar which used to be the first city in the area from Bralizzar. They can almost make out the Oasis of the White Palm off to the north as well. Ruins dot the landscape in small and large quantities.

Night falls, they encamp and the first day in the Sand Mire passes uneventfully. That night is so cold though that some of the animals almost get frostbitten, and they have to get out and warm them up.

As dawn breaks, they move out. An hour after starting, strong gusts arrive, and they have lost the next marker in the shifting sands. Alzar and Pahtun meet for a bit and agree on the right direction to follow, and wind up correct, a half mile later the marker appears.

They come across a party of six local Dervishes, on a quest to return a holy item to a forgotten reliquary. Out here Alzar has heard of an actual dervish class that some locals take, separate from others. These six and his party stop for a moment and have lunch together. They were just at the Oasis of Akhir, to the south., but on their route. It was clear of any enemy and such. That oasis is where they’ll stop and get more water.

As the day ends, they stop and pack it in, taking more care to keep the animals warm from the beginning.

[Abe Sargent]

Day four arrives, and the sky is covered in clouds, and the day is not as parching hot as the others. But as they continue, one of the camels suddenly panics for no known treason and runs off to the north, breaking its tether.

After a hundred feet or so, it hits a sinkhole in the sand and begins to fall in, crying for aid. Alzar and Pashtun race to it, using expert riding to bring it in. They fail to do so, but Alzar manages to cut most of the luggage free and secure it with Gilded Ears (not heavy enough to cause the sinkhole to collapse).

They lose half of their food to the sinkhole, and will have to rely more on Alzar’s magic items from the Bone Hill that produce food daily. He prefers to use that only when needed. It will be now.

Nothing else happens, and they never find out what happened to the camel (it was a psionic predator under the sands that fed on it after it fell into the sinkhole).

Tonight they find the Oasis of Akhir empty as they were informed by the dervishes, and they set up camp, taking care. Protecting water is vital since many predators will attack. They set up a double guard, but nothing strikes. They even find some food with the local plants to add to their quickly diminishing stockpile, as well as the load up of water.

In two days they should pass through the Gates of Sule, two twin pillars of stone that flank the road to Khaibar.

[Abe Sargent]

That day is relatively quiet until mid afternoon, when a dust devil hits. They head for cover and a column of yellow-grey sand can be seen from about 5 miles away. It begins to move towards Alzar’s group and they have everyone huddle down. It will pass within 1 or 2 miles. As it does, smaller dust devils break off, and some come towards the party and are a few hundred yards away, but ultimately it dies down.

After the storm leaves, there are predators that move out, seeing what was disturbed or killed. Several are scavengers, looking for dead animals, and they leave the party, quite alive, alone.

They are only delayed by an hour and a half and continue on the journey, since the Dust Devil revealed more signposts than they thought were there for the Sandvoyagers.

The next day passes uneventfully, at as it ends, they reach the Gates of Sule.

In the night though, a band of beetles crack across the night, and come after Gilded Ears, on guard duty with Alzar. Gilded Ears is even faster and scurries away, and Alzar’s Vampiric Touch kills one and the others move off.

25 XP for Alzar



The next day, a group of Pegasus Airlancers from Khaibar arrive in the sky to fight against a wyvern, and they slay it. It falls to the ground fall away. They fly around the path to keep it free for travels, and a Sandvoyager Caravan passes them headed to Bralizzar.


As they get closer and closer to the city, things are safer and safer.


End of I3, Pyramid for now.

[Abe Sargent]

So as I mentioned before, I sort of smashed together all of the various details of many different supplements to crate the backstory for this. I made the Efreet in Desert of Desolation a noble one to make it more powerful (and you can find out more about Noble Efreet in the Al-Qadim MC). I included some of College of Wizardry in there and snuck in a reference or two for Bastion of Faith. I smashed Al’Akbar and Desert of Desolation together hard core. It’s like Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. I’ve made some changes to the basic plotline as well. For example, in Desert, the time of the ceremony is right now, so you have to do it right now, and Aman won’t take no for an answer and forces you to begin the quest for the gemstones, and knows where they are. I made him a member of the College of Wizardry in order to fit that adventure/supplement into my campaign in Khaibar.

[Abe Sargent]

Beginning of I9. The Day of Al’Akbar




This is going to be our major place of rest. Our home base for most of the upcoming uber-campaign. In Day, there is a city called Khaibar. It’s so important, that the adventure comes with a huge map of the city. I mean huge. It’s so important to the module, that the city takes up almost the entire module.

Now here’s the thing. This is a hard module based on level and type of enemies faced. So I won’t be doing the module, just introducing Khaibar from it, and then doing the actual adventure later.

The module, and Desert, include a lot of random encounters, and I’ll mix them up from both to suit the story and area. The ones in Day are a lot nastier for the surrounding area. I’ll begin the storyline with the encounter in the desert later in the campaign. For now, we are using this as a base of operations, much like we used Tangaroa on the Isle of Dread or Arjuna.

Published in 1986, I really like the story because of how it’s a fun higher level version of an old-school adventure that creates a town or city for you to build around, or use as you have need. It does have a bit of a ham-jam opening to force you to do stuff, but the DM certainly doesn’t have to do any of that crap.

[Abe Sargent]

About a mile from the city of Khaibar Alzar and crew begin to smell the salty sebkhas of a long-decayed sewer and water management setting. Everything in the region appears to be in a state of long-decline and decay. The sun is setting and a great walled city rises up above the final hamada. A city that used to be home for almost a 50,000 is now down to 12,500 on a good day. But it’s the only major city here in the Sand Mire, and it still stands, even after raids, and conditions, both strong and weak. Ebb and flow.

The city of Khaibar is a ghost of its former self. It’s darker, danker, smellier, and dirtier. It has a small army of what are mostly brigands led by a local named Al’Farzikh, and a thieves guild. The only major force of note is the Airlancers and a handful of high quality guardsman that are supported by the Sandvoyagers and their profit, rather than Khaibar proper.

They could enter the city via the sewers if they wanted. But instead, Alzar and party make their way to the city gate of Khaibar on the south side. We can leave the sewers for later….


Goods and services come in from this gate via caravans and such, and the brigands/army/guard here on watch require a bribe of 10gp each to allow Alzar’s party access to the city.

After paying they enter. The edges of the city are mostly abandoned, clearly a theme among inhabited areas in the Sand Mire.

Welcome to the seedy city of Khaibar. No central ruler, led by brigands, guilds, merchants, and whorehouses. It is what remains of a once mighty empire 996 years ago, clinging to a vestige of life.

[Abe Sargent]

That doesn’t mean that there aren’t other things around. Outside the city walls is the College of Wizardry, and there are others in here trying to fight the good fight, such as some local temples known as the Bastion of Faith.

Right by the gate is Farah’s Funeral House, and then the Prison. Multiple inns and taverns line the road. They head into one of the better looking ones, The Drowsing Djinni Fonduk. (A Fonduk is a sort of hostel for merchants).

The tavernkeeper is Walid of the Green Fez who greets them and a barmaid, Yasminah, comes over and takes their orders. They have dates and chaksukah stew in-between meals right now that Alzar’s party agrees too. The water is fresher than usual and cheap too, and the food isn’t that bad considering.

They set up some rooms for the night here and then Alzar moves on while they eat.

[Abe Sargent]

A few doors down is the Golden Crescent Bakery, and Alzar fails his save and is forced to enter the shop. He does so and there are delicious smells and aromas, and delightful cakes. He is forced to buy and eat a cake at a very high price (10 silver). He makes the save afterwards, and won’t be forced to buy more and more. Two brownies are serving the cakes here.

Alzar inquires about them, and after making sure their owner isn’t here they tell their story. They were enslaved by an evil spellcaster to make her cakes and money. They were captured in a forest far from here, and then a witch from Khaibar, arriving for some spell ingredients, saw the baked goods and released they were magical. Seeing the commercial potential, she geas’ed them and brought them back. They have been making these cakes for 7 months now. Alzar makes his spellcraft roll and knows that only a wish can break a geas. He tells them he can’t cast the spell necessary to free them.

Of course another way to break a geas is simply to kill the witch.

Alzar spends some time looking at baked goods, and she arrives around a half-hour later. He watches her closely for a bit before he retires, and he eats some cakes and drinks some goats milk to wash them down to cover his presence.

Alzar returns to the tavern and speaks to the local party. He tells them about his plan to kill the witch. She doesn’t look that powerful. After questioning, the brownies mentioned she read the geas spell off a scroll, he’s not that sure she can cast 5th level magic.

If they have the advantage, they can win, he thinks.

[Abe Sargent]

They move closer to the shop, and he rings things in.

After waiting the right moment, with everyone in position, he nods to the brownies, and they duck.

His troupe attacks first, but the spells take some time, and Alzar and Tolvar are casting quickly, Alzar Vampiric Touch and Tolvar Melf’s Acid Arrow. She hears and begins to cast a spell, and she is a bit quicker, and her Invisibility spell checks in. Alzar can see through it, finishes, and Vampiric Touches her. She takes 11 damage. Tolvar can’t get his spell through. Volcifar uses Dispel Magic from his Ring of Spell Storing and dispels the Invisibility. Attacks by Pashtun and Locinda miss.


The next turn, she wins init again and casts Evard’s Black Tentacles right behind Alzar and Pashtun and Locinda and in front of Volcifar and Tolvar. It’s a perfect placement and numerous tentacles strike out and attack. Alzar takes 11, and Tolvar 4 and Volcifar 4.

41/51 – Alzar
6/10 – Tolvar
15/19 – Volcifar

After taking the damage, Tolvar finishes the Acid Arrow this time and hits her for 5 damage. Alzar casts Dispel Magic to destroy the Tentacles. Locinda and Pashtun both carve into the mage for 7 more damage. She just has an AC of 8.

Next turn Alzar’s team wins init.

She makes her save when he casts Continual Light on her eyes. But Tolvar’s Magic Missile finishes her off and she dies.

1050 XP for everyone

A cast of Detect Magic finds the cloak and two wands on her glowing, and nothing else in the shop, her room behind it, or on her.

The brownies are freed. They do a search to find good stuff quickly.

100 gp
9500 in gems sewn into cloak

Over the next few days they will find these magical items:

Cloak of Protection +2
Buckler Wand
Wand of Salt, 22 charges

The Wand of Salt produces powerful cramps and thirst pangs in any who are struck by the beam. – 2d6 damage, save vs half each round until a full round is spend drinking water. You can also use it to defoliate a 50x50 foot square section of land. Both uses take one charge. Made of saltsteel, a magically hardened salt, and overlaid with sand. It’s use is considered evil.

Buckler Wand? Can lengthen and essentially become a +1 dagger, or can turn into a spiked bucker +1 which can be used by wizards, and can even be used while casting a spell if, say, the user is a wizard/fighter and can access both. As a duel class, Alzar can use the spiked buckler and cast a spell too, when he levels up high enough to use those abilities again.

She had the wand poisoned as well, in case she needed to stab someone with it.

Crescent Witch Spellbook: To be decoded later:

1st – Run, Burning Hands, Charm Person, Read Magic, Detect Magic, Identify, Charm Person, Shocking Grasp
2nd – Invisibility, Stinking Cloud, Darkness 15’ Radius, Baltar’s Lightening, Knock
3rd – Genie Contract, Protection from Good, 10’ Radius, Lightning Bolt, Dispel Magic
4th – Evard’s Black Tentacles, Unburn

Unburn will reverse the damage that fire did to something. It has a large radius, unburns for up to a day using the rules of fire, and restores things permanently. It’s a funky lil’ spell that Alzar might be interested in someday. It will also undo rust and tarnish as well.

Alzar won’t open it until he’s done a lot of Dispel Magics on it.

The town guard, such as they are, arrive on the scene about an hour after the battle is over, the items secure, and Alzar’s party is back eating. The brownies have fled back home using faerie travel.


They spend the night at their Fonduk quietly, and Volcifar heads out to explore and find the local thieves guild and “check in.” Most guilds don’t like solo thieves in their city. He hasn’t been to Khaibar, but it’s probable they follow the same rules.

[Abe Sargent]

I'm going to pause a moment and adding a little place to use as a guideline for the ongoing Sand Mire campaign. I'll come back and edit it as things change - one stop shop!

[Abe Sargent]

Sand Mire Info Post:


Party –

Alzar – Main Guy

Pashtun – Warrior from deserts near Arjuna
Volcifar – Thief who joined the party in Phraya
Tolvar – Conjurer who joined the party in Phraya
Locinda – Half/orc warrior who joined the party in Phraya

Gilded Ears – Jackal familiar of Alzar
Aegis - Stone Golem made of onyx, controlled by Alzar


Major Characters in Sand Mire –



Historical –

Amun-Re – Pharaoh who united the area, whose reign ended with a death curse that began the Sand Mire, 996 years ago
Martek – Ancient Sage/Mage who fought against Amun-Re, and who’s book tells of how to keep the noble Efreet of Amun-Re imprisoned.
Kalitharius -Ancient and powerful Efreet of the nobility that served Amun-Re, and was imprisoned by Martek.
Lyzandred the Mad – The most powerful of the people to try and carve an empire after the immediate fall of Amun-Re.
Dargeshaad – The second most successful of people to try and carve an empire, fought against ancient version of College of Wizardry
Daffyd – Ancient prophet that inspired the Bastion of Faith, servant of Khshathra, God of the Perfect Society
Kahabros - Self-styled Lord of Evil and fought against Daffyd, servant-cleric of Hextor.
Dragon of Shades – Massive desolation one of the contributing factors to creation of Sand Mire
Queen Aneksi – Long dead and long forgotten -queen who ruled hundreds of years before Amun-Re a smaller nation
St. Hosadus - Holy man in Sind-theology who helped to forge the small nation by fighting against the evil remnants of Amun-Re's kingdom, before leaving.

Current –

Aman Al-Rafiq – Sage/scholar in Bralizzar, guild wizard with College of Wizardry
Japheth Arcane – Founder and guildmaster of College of Wizardry.
Dhakiy Dreschul – Transmuter, guild wizard in College, Alzar’s sponsor
Dirganun - Regent in College, in charge of archeology and missions

Sheikh Alzar – Sheikh of Kasbah of Ber-Gathy
Xanaphon – High Priest of Temple of Nabilah in Ber-Gathy
Skarda – Wizard whose mirror is used to turn people into energy

Master – Currently building power bases in western part of Sand Mire, bringing nomad tribes together

Nadia – Wife of Retameron, wizard, associate with College, lives in Khaibar
Retameron – Solider, husband of Nadia, lives in Khaibar
Walid of the Green Fez – Proprietor of Drowsing Djinni Fonduk in Khaibar
Ibrahim of Ul’Tabarzin - Proprietor of Ibrahim;s Mint Tea Parlor in Khaibar
Al’Farzikh – “Sultan” of Khaibar, leader of the local brigands and such
Vahtak Bey – Guildmaster of Thieves Guild in Khaibar

Kassim Arslan - Sheikh of the Oasis of the White Palm


Major Places:


Bralizzar – Small but well-run outpost on border of Hek territory, far east of Sand Mire
Khaibar – Former capital of Amun-Re’s kingdom, now dilapidated city
Ber-Gathy – Small, but growing, outpost along the Oued Khaud north of Khaibar
Great Erg of Arir – Name of desert around Khaibar.
Ak’Ridar – Village in the caldera of a volcano, with a lot of trade and an oasis
Oasis of the White Palm - One of the major encampments on the eastern part of the north Sand Mire.
Sind - Small nation in the north-west of the Sand Mire, home of the Master

Minor Places:

College of Wizardry – Home of the Arcane Order of Enchantment and Exposition, outside of Khaibar
Bastion of Faith – Military-minded temple of Khshathra, western edge of Khaibar
Pyramid of the Illustrious One – Burial place of Aneksi
Gates of Sule – Two major pillars of rock pushed together in the sand
Sunken City of Pazar – Eastern part of Sand Mire, just a few days south-ish of Bralizzar.
City of the Dead – Number of mastabas near the Nairotan settlement.
Prama - Village a few days north of Kasbah of Ber-Gathy
Magden - Small Village in Sind, on the far side of the Great Pass.


Outside the Sand Mire Proper:


Shalfey, Elder Sage of the Tower of the Heavens

[Abe Sargent]

He locals hear of the magic battle and death of the witch, so they aren’t looking to hassle with Alzar and his group, certainly not yet. Volcifar comes back after a couple of hours having met with a lower level official in the guild and checking in. a thief named Vahtak Bey runs the guild here. He finds out that there have been some disturbances recently near an old tower in the southeast corner of the city.

Alzar and company find out more about the surrounding area. Nearby Khaibar, the Sand Mire is called the Great Erg of Arir. (Erg is a great sandy desert). They purchase a map of the area from Walid of the Green Fez, who always keeps a few in stock for travelers.

The merchant’s trail of the Sandvoyagers passes through Khaibar, and then heads north to the Sidi-Hakeim Oasis and Bir-Muktar Oasis before arriving at the Kasbah of Ber-Gathy. It also heads west to the points closer to the land currently controlled by the Master and his growing horde of tribes.

North there there is a small, barely noticeable stream called the Oued Khalid, where most of the locals get their water. It’s dirty and unfiltered, and fun by a underground spring. The Oued Khalid runs by the Kasbah and heads back towards the city of Khaibar, passing almost three miles away. Underground tunnels were built to connect it to the city proper.

Another Kasbah is to the south, but it’s been abandoned, where Ber-Gathry, about four days away, is still inhabited.

Behind Khaibar is Mount Djebilat, and to the south is the Bab-el Djebel Oasis on the Sandvoyager’s trail to points further south.

They begin to move out and explore the city more….

[Abe Sargent]

Let me give you current Alzar!

Alzar on Hamedh
7th level Fighter (Myrmidon), 5th level Path Mage (Fivefold Mage)

Lawful Evil
Human

Str: 17
Dex: 12
Con: 10
Wis: 15
Int: 21
Cha: 17

Hit Points: 51
THACO: 14 as Fighter, 19 as Mage
AC: 10
Total XP: 27125 (Level 6 at 40000)
Age 56, Body - 22

Race Abilities:

None Taken

Class Abilities (Cannot use as Fivefold Mage without losing XP gain):

Specialization
Leadership (Alzar can command the tactics, strategy, logistics and more that a large force requires)
3 attacks every 2 rounds


Non-Weapon Proficiencies:

Myrmidon Bonus:

Tactical History 14
Fire-Building 16

Riding 11
Swimming 12
Reading/Writing 15
Survival 14
Blind Fighting
Etiquette 13
Endurance
Heraldry 14
Hunting 10
Fishing 14
Weather Knowledge 10
Orienteering 15

As a Necromancer/Fivefold Mage

Necrology 17
Netherworld Knowledge 14
Herbalism 14
Alchemy 15
Poison Use 11
Ancient Languages 10
Spellcraft 12
Ancient History – 14
Bookbinding – 16
Papermaking - 16
Sage Knowledge: Outer Planes, Inner Planes – 13
Divining: 15
Genie Lore: 16
Riding, Specialization: 10

Languages – Thorasian - Typic, Sis’sharr, UnderTypic, Kuo-Toa; Hamedhi – Arjuni, Sand Mire Common,


Traits:

Empathy
Fast Healer
Precise Memory
Obscure Knowledge


Weapon Proficiencies:

Bonus Kit Specialization:

Battle Axe

Battle Axe
One Handed Weapon Style x2 (-2 AC when using one weapon in combat)
Crossbow
Battle Axe Weapon Mastery
Spear
Dagger

Total with normal battle axe - +3 to hit, +3 to damage, -2 to AC. An additional +1 with the axe and +1 damage for strength


Staff – Can only use this as a Necromancer, +1


Class Ability:

1). Alzar can control undead as an evil Priest of the same level, and this ability extends to extra planar beings which are considered undead with the same hit dice for this purpose.
2). One Extra Spell/Level is Gained, must be Path.
3). Fivefold Mages reduce the spell level by one when researching spells in The Path.
4). Chance to Learn spell in The Path increased by +15%
5). Saving Throw of Targets when targeted by spells from The Path at -1.
6). No more than one spell per level can be from the group: Abjuration, Alteration, Alchemy and Geometry barring a highly unusual and temporary circumstance.
7). Fivefold Mage must invest a focus item as the method through which magic is cast. (Alzar’s Father’s Ring)
8). Must have a lab and library and workbench with 1,000 gp value per level, and an upkeep of 50 gp/level/month
9). They can store spells like an Artificer, but cannot begin to do so until level 6
10). Fivefold Mages have a chance to identify a magical item by spending a turn peering at it closely and examining it - chance is their level times 5.
11). Fivefold Mages never suffer from a negative reaction penalty due to controlling or animating undead.


Immune to starvation

[Abe Sargent]

Stuff:

4200 gp
1195 pp


Gems: Topaz – 100 gp ; Ruby – 500gpx2; 10 gems – 50 gp each; 9500 generic gems;



Jewelry: Random jewelry worth 28100; Emerald Headband – 300 gp ; Ivory Earrings – 120 gp ; Ruby Necklace – 750 gp ; Gold Armbands, 500 gp ; Ruby Pendant – 900 gp ; Silver Belt Buckle – 100 gp ; Ivory and Jet Ram’s Head Amulet – 550 gp ; Pair of Diamond Earrings – 2000 gp ; Platinum Belt – 1500 gp ; Emerald Bead Necklace – 500 gp ; Necklace of Black Pearls, 4000 gp ;


Objet d’arts: 4 Gold Rods, 85 gp each ; 4 Silver Plates, 100 gp each ; Silver Comb and Brush set – 100 gp
Ornate Perfume Bottle – 50 gp ; Rare Pottery – 500 gp ; Relics from Neconolis – 1000 gp total ; Rock Crystal Bottle Stopper – 75 gp ; Silver Dagger with Ivory Handle – 250 go ; Gold Studded Leather Armor – 500 gp ; Coral Carved Horse Statuette – 550 gp ; Gem-laced elephant bridle – 1550 gp ; Jeweled Dagger – 1500 gp ; Silver Incense Burner – 600 gp ;




Books and Library:

6000 gp library, generally
History of the Badlands Tribes (20 gp)
Encyclopedia of Local Plants (50 gp)
Diary of the Wizard, Zelligar
Meteorological Phenomena of Hamedh (75 gp)
Tribal History of this Duergar Clan
Yaghoub’s Journal
Three books of magical history
Illustrated Bestiary (250 gp)
Book on history of tower and residents
11 books on the nature of demi-humans – 250 gp
Creation of the Shade
100 Books from Bone Hill Study
Neconilis’s Book of Horrors
Deed worth 950 gp
Surrisk’s notes on undead, necromancy, and a spell Undead Familiar
1000 gp library of 300 general purpose books from Dungeon in Desert


Laboratory:

6000 gp lab generally
500 gp equipment from Dungeon in Desert


Magic Items:

Proficient Staff
Staff – 10 charges, Dancing Lights, Light for 1 charge, Lightning Bolt, 4d12 damage, 2 charges, Spark – 2d10, 1 charge – 30’ away
Staff of Healing, 24 charges, (1 charge for Cure Blindness, Disease, 2 for Cure Serious, Neutralize Poison)
+1 Pesh-kabz, Short Bow, Daggerx2, Gada, Club, Heavy Crossbow, Yataghan, Sling, Tulwar, Shamshir,
+2 Battleaxe, Flail
+2 Trombash of Returning ; Spear, +1, +2 vs Giants, +3 vs Orcs, Ogres ;
+1 Shield, +3 Shield
+2 Chainmail, +2 Leather Armor, Plate Mail,

Potion of Levitation, Neutralize Poison, Diminution, White Dragon Control, Poison, Infravision, Invisibilityx7, Invulnerability; Gaseous Formx2, Vampire Control, Growth, Sweet Water, Speed, Extra Healingx2, Polymorph Self
Keoghtom's Ointment – 3 applications left
Wizard Spell Scroll: Create Spectral Wizard, Summon Shadow, Erase, Dispel Magic, Fire Shield, Strength, Dimension Door, Fly, Protection from Evil, 10’ Radius, Elonia’s Glamer.
Cleric Spell Scroll: Prayer, Commune, Cure Critical Wounds, Spiritual Hammer, Prayer, Detect Lie, Tongues, Create Food and Water, Cure Serious Wounds, Neutralize Poison,
Scroll - Protection from Undead, Possession

Wand of Frost –2 charges; Wand of Salt, 22 charges;
Wand of Metal and Mineral Detection – 43 charges ; Wand of Wonder, 67 charges ;
Buckler Wand

Medallion of Defense
Amulet of Neconilis x3
Ring of Protection +1, Chameleon Nature; Cantrips; Quick Action; Warmth; Coolness; Free Action ;
Helmet of Underwater Action
Rock Jellaba
Scarab of Venom
Bracers of Defense: AC 7
Dusty Rose Ioun Stone - +1 AC
Magic Jelly Beans – 1 Grey, 2 Green, 2 Orange, 3 Yellow (G Cube), 2 White (Crystal Ooze), 2 Black
Boots of Varied Tracks; Sandals of Speed
Cloak of Protection +2; Cloak of Poisonousness (Cursed)
Girdle of Ogre Strength

2 Tubes of Dust of Appearance
Incense of Enlightenment; 2 Blocks of Incense of Meditation;

Folding Boat

Crucible of Melting ; Lens of Speed Reading ; Honing Stone 6 charges;
Pearl of Power, 2nd level

Bronze Horn of Valhalla, summons 2d4 Neutral Evil, level 2 fighters, AC4, 15 hp, spear or sword. Can only be blown by N, NE, LE, or CE Priest or Warrior.

Metal Platter (Beef, Lamb, Turkey, Pheasant) for four people once/day; Mug (Beer, Ale, Mead) six/day; Pitcher (Water, Tea, Wine), three/day.


Unusual Items:

Brass Dragon Skin; Gold Flecked Ruby from Gold Dragon – 1000 gp; Strands from a Memory Web ; 4 Debbi Hides; Various Nasnas Parts;

Silver Knife, Spear
Crossbow, 50 bolts
Flask of Sleep Water
Multiple Vials of Poison
Destroyed and burned out Ioun stone

2 Divining Rods
Focus - Signet Ring


5 blank scroll pages, ready to be used
Many bottles of scroll ink
Wand, crafted ready to be enchanted

[Abe Sargent]

Alzar’s Spellbook:


1st Level:

Cantrip
Charm Person
Chill Touch
Comprehend Languages
Create Divining Rod
Detect Magic
Detect Undead
Emrikol’s Question
Find Familiar
Hypnosis
Identify
Protection from Good
Read Magic
Sleep
Wizard Mark


2nd level:

Baltar’s Lightening
Continual Light
Death Armor
Ghoul Touch
Hold Person (Hamedhi)
Knock
Locate Object
Skeletal Hands
Spectral Hand
Unpickable Lock
Wizard Lock


3rd Level:

Bewilder
Dispel Magic
Genie Contract
Hold Undead
Lesser Rhabdomancy
Vampiric Touch


4th Level:

Charm Monster
Dig
Rary’s Mnemonic Enhancer

5th

Animate Dead
Conjure Water Elemental
Greater Rhabdomancy
Summon Shadow



Other Spellbooks:
A blank spellbook

Evocation Tome of Beginners – All common 1st level evocation spells

Standard Spellbook – Feather Fall, Hypnosis, Sleep, Spook, Magic Mouth, Shatter, Dispel Magic

Sussick’s Spellbook: Magic Missile, Chill Touch, Spook, Detect Magic, Read Magic, Detect Undead, Cantrip, Wall of Fog, Find Familiar, Light, Tensor’s Floating Disc, Continual Light, Flaming Sphere, Death Armor, Hold Person, Levitate, Locate Object, Spectral Hand, Bind, Dispel Magic, Hold Undead, Item, Dig, Undead Familiar

Piyarz’s Book – Detect Magic, Find Familiar, Light, Magic Missile, Read Magic, Sleep, Baltar’s Lightening, Magic Mouth, Locate Object, Tongues, Rary;s Mnemonic Enhancer

Lurg’s Book – Detect Illusion, Detect Magic, Emrikol’s Question, Identify, Phantasmal Force, Read Magic, Wizard Mark, Non-Detection, Illusionary Script

Porro’s Book – Change Self, Color Spray, Dancing Lights, Find Familiar, Detect Magic, Identify, Light, Read Magic, Wizard Mark, Hypnotic Pattern, Misdirection, Knock

Cipolla’s Book – Detect Magic, Read Magic, Sand Jambiya, Tensor’s Floating Disk, Wall of Fog, Invisibility, Ventriloquism


Spellbook destroyed by rat, just one spell left – Levitate (remnants of book were procured and owned)

Neconolis Spellbook:

1st level – Alarm, Burning Hands, Detect Magic, Detect Undead, Friends, Jump, Magic Missile, Protection from Good, Read Magic, Spook
2nd Level – Deafness, Detect Good, Ghoul Touch, Magic Mouth, Whispering Sound, Wizard Lock
3rd Level – Bewilder, Explosive Runes, Hold Undead, Non-Detection, Secret Page
4th Level – Curse, Emotion, Enchant Weapon
5th Level – Animate Dead, Summon Shadow
6th Level – Summon Least Yugoloth


Spellbooks not Decoded:


Telvar’s Spellbook – Will be a while before this is up and ready to be read:

1st Level – Cloud Ladder, Charm Person, Detect Magic, Magic Missile, Protection from Good, Read Magic, Identify, Sleep, Shocking Grasp
2nd Level – Darkness, 15’ Radius; ESP, Flying Fist, Invisibility, Levitate, Detect Invisibility, Magic Mouth, Wizard Lock
3rd Level – Dispel Magic, Fire Ball, Fly, Protection from Normal Missiles, Feign Death, Monster Summoning I, Leomund;s Tiny Hut, Scintillating Sphere
4th – Rary;s Mnemonic Enhancer, Wizard Eye

Crescent Witch Spellbook: To be decoded later:

1st – Run, Burning Hands, Charm Person, Read Magic, Detect Magic, Identify, Charm Person, Shocking Grasp
2nd – Invisibility, Stinking Cloud, Darkness 15’ Radius, Baltar’s Lightening, Knock
3rd – Genie Contract, Protection from Good, 10’ Radius, Lightning Bolt, Dispel Magic
4th – Evard’s Black Tentacles, Unburn


Alzar’s Others:


Undead:
3 Coffer Corpses
6 Ghoulstirges
Multiple Ghouls, Zombies, Skeletons

[Abe Sargent]

X12. Skarda’s Mirror






I’ve decided to swap this module up now for what I was expecting the next one to be. I think it makes more sense to run Skarda’s Mirror as opposed to anything else just yet. I’m making incredible changes the beginning in order to facilitate running it later.

Published in 1987, it’s not exactly an earth-shattering module, but hopefully it will work.

[Abe Sargent]

Three days later they head out to check out the tower Volcifar heard about.

They get some info first. This tower is the home of Retameron and his wife Nadia. They are an old adventuring couple, fighter and mage, from way back ,now in their mid-40s. She is a minor associate with the Wizard’s College. Neither have been seen for months.

A strange beast has been using the Tower as a home and over the last few days, has struck at locals, and there have been two deaths.

Alzar added Dispel Magic back into Volcifar’s Ring of Spell Storing, and the group has prepared. A local sage was hired to do some additional research. One of the many fallen artifacts of the ancient kingdom was a mirror that was used by many people, and recently Skarda. Skarda found it decades ago, and used it to absorb many peasants, and soldiers alike. The legends tell that the mirror absorbs the life essence of people, and uses it to strengthen the user, Skarda. About five years ago, Retameron and Nadia found and took down Skarda and ended the scourge, but the Mirror was not heard from since. Could it be in their Tower?

The tower is a ordinary stonework design, but it’s well defended, with battlements, windows only high up, and a wall that surrounds it. A good home for a fighter, likely. There is a gate in the wall, and it’s wide open and a stables can be seen inside.

They choose to head right on in, but cautiously, with various folks scouting and being careful. They knock, and there are no answers. The door is big double doors. They are not locked, and are pushed open.

[Abe Sargent]

They arrive at an antechamber with doors front, right and left, and on the floor off the small room is a large triangular piece of mirror-glass. Meanwhile the doors to the front are torn of their hinges and evince signs of recent use. Untouched dust piled in front of the other two suggests they have not been used much recently.

They slow down an investigate the mirror-glass. As they do, Locinda turns to make sure the other areas are covered and her back is turned to the mirror. Suddenly a baboon like creature appears in the mirror, crystallizes in the air, slashes at her back, hit her for 7 damage, and then falls back into the mirror and disappears.


Alzar orders the mirror broken immediately. If this is Skarda’s Mirror, it broke way too easily. It must have been something else. There is nothing else here, and they push into the forward room

Locinda – 24/31

[Abe Sargent]

There is a large stairwell leading up here, and is very broad and gentle. There are doors to the right and left, closed. They head right and open into a hallway and then forward into a wine cellar. Delicately balanced on a rack of wines is a large squarish piece of mirror-glass.

From the door, Alzar grabs his crossbow and in two shots has broken the mirror. Again, a search turns up nothing, and wines here don’t appear to be that valuable.

They explore other rooms on the floor, to the left is a waiting room with tapestries draped on the walls and a comfortable sofa and chairs. And a mirror –glass on the wall, quite large, is again, broken from range. As they do that, they hear a roar, and from a room off the hallway comes that baboon-looking creature and it arrives to hit the party, swings and misses on Volcifar, and then puffs away.

They break the mirror of a common hall as well, the final room here on this floor is a dry goods storage room, where they have large amounts of cloth, leathers, seasoned incense, and grains and such. Propped on a wooden chair with a broken leg is a medium-sized chunk of mirror glass, turned to face the doorway and close to it. As they open the door, the creature appears in the glass, appears behind the party, and attacks Volcifar, carving him for 4 damage, and again disappears back to the mirror, and then somewhere else.

They move into the room after breaking the glass and under some leathers a growling noise can be heard. Setting up positions, out from the leathers leaps a baboon-like creature, howling for their throats.

It wins init and strikes Alzar in the front once with a bite for 3 damage. The group doles out 17 back from a few weapons and it dies.

They check it out and it’s actually just a rock baboon. Not their real foe.

Alzar – 48/51
Volcifar – 15/19

Nothing else is here and they move up to the second level.

[Abe Sargent]

There is no mirror on the first or second floor stairs. The stairs continue up, but they get off here at a hallway that walks all the way around the floor, with 8 doors leading to rooms off it. They appear to be a bunch of bunkrooms for soldiers, and then a pair of officers bedrooms, and then a mess for them. They weren’t used in quite some time save for guests or something. There are mirrors in each of them, all broken, and all too far from the door to allow for another ambush until they reach the eighth room.

In the last room, a kitchen, the mirror is just inside the door, facing the party, and again, and ambush appears and hits Volcifar for another 5 damage before disappearing. Alzar had switched the party order, but knowing who the wounded person was, it attacked the same again on the left flank. Now Alzar moves Volcifar to the middle.

Volcifar – 10/19


They head upstairs, and again, there are no mirrors in the stairs. They arrive on a floor with an identical layout as before, a hallway that wraps around the floor, this time with 6 doors. There are two that have food storage, and the glasses are broken, and agan, the creature pops from a mirror in another room and races down, this time prepared, they hit it with a Magic Missile from Tolvar and it takes 8 damage. They miss with weapons and it hits Pashtun twice in the rear for 7 damage before disappearing.

Pashtun – 31/38

[Abe Sargent]

Most of the rest of the floor are servants quarters and a planning room. The final is a military office that has a chair with a mirror on it, again really clos,e and the creature pops and does its ambush again. Volcifar is in the middle and it chooses not to appear in the middle of the group and enable a lot of attacks, and instead goes after Pashtun again in the rear, and hits once for 3 more damage

Pashtun -28/38

There is nothing of note in any of these rooms, and they head up to the 4th floor, and again, the stairs seem to continue upwards. This time we have eight doors in the wrap-around-me hallway of happiness and ambushing.

Alzar gets Tolvar to ready his Melf’s Acid Arrow spell and prepare in case of another appearance of their foe. The find another antechamber, and beyond it another kitchen, with a meals for the higher quality residents on the top of the tower. There are tables, a nice set of cooking areas, and a large mirror that they break from long range, no problem.

There is a horde of rats that are here, and they flee as the party pushes into the kitchen. They scurry back under wherever they were before. The next room is a cook’s quarter’s and there is a shard of glass, close by, and the baboon-like creature appears, and then is hit by Melf’s Acid Arrow as it arrives at the rear to strike at Pashtun, and hits once for 5 damage this turn and 6 the next. Meanwhile Pashtun takes 4 from some claws. As expected, it pops back out.

Pashtun – 24/38

There is some more food storage on the floor, and servants quarters. But the mirrors are finished from range.

They head up the stairs to the final floor.

[Abe Sargent]

They arrive at a defensive corridor that is the last defense for the tower. Bars are set across the area, but the rear one is smashed. No glass here. A hallway opens up, and they take a door that appears to be a scribe’s bedchamber. After destroying the glass here, there are various tools of the trade here, long since unused. A body, dead for at least a week, is here, the first sign of anyone non-baboon being here recently. There is nothing found after searching.

The next door is the chamber of one appears to have been a head servant, like a headmistress, and another body of an older woman is in here. There mirror here was already broken on their arrival, and besides the body, in shards. Nothing of note here either.

Next are two guest quarters, and another attack-and-fade occurs after the creature Alzar has named the Mirror Monkey arrives, and then misses, and disappears. There is blood in one of the two quarters, but no bodies.

At the rear hall is a broken door, that leads to another room which has racks of more expensive looking wine, and a mirror, destroyed from the hallway. There are apelike footprints in the dust of this room from around the mirror, and nothing else of note.

They pass a few hatches to the roof but skip them for now. They find a large bedroom that was likely Retameron and Nadia’s. It has expensive effects and a large mirror on the bed, and the Mirror Monkey shows up, but quicker now they break from range before it can leave the mirror. It takes 4 damage from the breaking mirror.


That forces the creature out of the Mirror and they begin combat against it.

The creature, (A Mirror Fiend actually) moves to attack Pashtun on the right, already wounded, and wins initiative and hits for 5 damage. Alzar uses Vampiric Touch on it for 14 damage and is fully healed. Only Locinda hits the creature for 3 damage from her +1 khanda.


Pashtun 19/38

After taking a lot more damage than it dealt out, it chooses to disappear again.

[Abe Sargent]

A door from the bedroom heads to a small treasury, with one gold coin in the corner and a mirror-glass here as well. They break it from range and there apparently used to be chests and such in here, but were all taken out a few months ago.

Back to the hallway, the next door leads to a practice chamber for a fighter. It’s probably Retameron;s, and it has no furniture, just a few targets, weapons on racks, and a few practice dummies. The mirror in here is on the ceiling, and they destroy it.

The final room on the floor is a chamber where Nadia apparently conducted her magical experiments and trains apprentices. There are rock-slab tables, with a variety of laboratory equipment for Nadia, as well as multiple books cases with books piling high. There are some metal storage jars on shelves and the room is the largest in the tower.

There is a glass mirror on the eastmost table. As they begin to fire weapons at it, a quartet of Stirges flies down to attack the party.

Missiles weapons already in hand kill two before they arrive, and they stab out and one attaches to Tolvar for 4 damage and begins to suck his blood.

They kill the one sucking his blood next turn, and the other flies up as the Mirror Fiend pops out of the final mirror behind Volcifar, his original and ongoing target, and stabs him with claws on his hands for 5 more damage.

Volcifar – 5/19

For the next round, they lose initiative and the Fiend nails Volcifar twice for 9 damage and kills him. They stabs the fiend for 12 damage off Pashtun’s critically hitting magical scimitar. The others miss the fiend.

The next round they wrest initiative away, and Alzar’s staff cracks it for 3 damage and Pashtun adds another 6 damage and it dies. They launch missile weapons at the final Stirge, trying to fly away, and kill it.

Each character still alive gets 1250 XP (Volcifar gets none, since he’s dead.)

They break the final mirror. Alzar casts Detect Magic and uses it to detect things on this level, but nothing glows. There isn’t so much as a potion here. It looks like this place was already looted and raided.

[Abe Sargent]

They head up to the roof to see if there is anything up there, but there isn’t, just a few battlements. Did they miss Skarda’s Mirror? They spend a few hours making sure that there is no mirror lost. The only thing they found of note was a few maps, two of which appear to be treasure maps.

The Mirror wasn’t in the tower.

They return to the streets of Khaibar. Nearby is a temple led by Achmed Raisul, the Temple of the Great Holy One. They bring the body of Volcifar to the temple and the cleric meets with them, the one true faith, that is tolerated by the powers that be because many of the local people still believe in it.

Achmed brings them inside and is escorted by a pair of lower level clerics. He already knows the Raise Dead spell, and will use it for 1000 gp to cover expenses, and to assist the church. They pay, and the spell is cast.

Volcifar has to survive a Resurrection Check, and he does. His Constitution permanently drops by one.

They get some light healing from the lower level clerics free of charge, since they just paid a lot of money to the temple, and they are mostly healed. Alzar wants to check out the tower in more detail later, and perhaps they missed Skarda’s Mirror or too see about the books and equipment to ad those to his collection.

The night falls and they spend it with Walid of the Green Fez and his establishment.

Tolvar has leveled up during the day’s events. He now has 13 hit points and gains another 2nd level spell.

[Abe Sargent]

In the morning, they break fast, and decide to move back out to the two for another inspection. The morning is just begun and they move into the streets.

A wagon is moving ahead of them, with something covered by a large fur. A pair of soldiers are in the back of the wagon. Suddenly, the fur is pulled down by the soldiers as the party nears, revealing a beautiful, 2 and a half foot large mirror, with dark unknown wood, and a darker cast about it. As the party sees the mirror, they are pulled into it, as are all of the people on the street around them!


The wagon rolls on silently, after the soldiers cover Skarda’s Mirror back over….

[Abe Sargent]

They arrive on a platform in an odd looking place. The area is carved of glass, and is about a mile long, 2/3rds of a mile wide, and about 1/2 a mile deep. Bright reflective glass and walls can be seen everywhere. They are inside this cube…

As are lots of others. About 50 or 60 soldiers are milling here, weapons ready. They shout for Alzar, his party, and the local peasants picked off the street to surrender.

Behind them is a golden glass wall. Alzar gently backs into it to see if it will transport him back but it doesn’t. It’s currently inert. There could be a lot of reasons – maybe it needs to recharge after every use, or can only be opened from the outside or needs a certain object or command word to work, or only works for the owner, Skarda, or perhaps even it opens up at certain times of the day, or every four hours or something. But now, it’s not working.

They shout out again, and the party is looking to Alzar for an answer. The area seems to be divided into different districts, and far away is a ziggurat with a palace of onyx on top. He does a quick mental assessment of his spells and items. Is there a way out? The platform is detecting magic, and everything they have magical is glowing. Alzar doubts those are the only detection magic up for grabs. Clearly, they are prepared. Lacking an obvious answer, such as teleport, he agrees, and they surrender.

[Abe Sargent]

A short while later they are brought into a jail cell, at the bottom of a prison in some farflung area inside the mirror. All of the buildings are made of glass, and there is actually a glass quarry here that digs into the glass earth and finds various colors, and onyx as well.

Alzar and Tolvar are bound, with heavy iron gauntlets clamped to their hands and locked, so they cannot cast spells. Meanwhile everyone is locked with shackles. They spend a few hours getting their bearings an rising from unconscious. Alzar has his people spend some time getting their bearings before making any decisions.

Volcifar has some picks secured in various places, not all of which were found. As he begins to pick the locks, an earthquake hits and the rock tumbles for a bit. A fellow prisoner, Ashgarth, from next door spies them through a crack caused by the earthquake and begins to talk.

He tells them more about Mirror World, and most of the people here in the place are slaves kept in the Slaves Quarters that they just call Hell. He was a slave after being drug though the Mirror about a decade ago, and has been leaders of a relatively weak resistance.

They have allies in the various guards. He tells Alzar that they need a command word to activate the mirror to head out. He gives Alzar’s group some information about the area and underground stuff they were looking for.

Volcifar picks the locks and opens everyone else’s. There are two guards outside the door and down a corridor. The door itself is locked by an actual lock, not a bar, and Volcifar picks that too. Afterwards, they head out and Volcifar begins working on nearby locks in the corridor, as the others move to protect him from the guards.

[Abe Sargent]

One hears and moves out, but is killed by Alzar and Pashtun, and they grab his keys and the other hears it, and shouts for help before being killed as well.

In a few minutes, Volcifar and Tolvar’s keys have opened various jails, including Nadia and Retameron, as well as the person who gave them the info they needed. They continue and opened the door to the place where people’s things are kept, and in here are various weapons, items, spellbooks, armor, and more, from everyone from Nadia and Retameron to Alzar and Pashtun.


There are about 10 prisoners or so let go, including many that have been released. A group of 9 guards moves in to intercept them.

There are waaayyy too many combatants to run this with dice, I’ll hit it up over at random.org and quick sim it.


After a few rounds:

Alzar 44/51
Locinda 22/31

The rest of the damage was taken by prisoners released, Ashgarth or Retameron. The guards were killed or fleeing.

[Abe Sargent]

The next room is a records room of all prisoners and such that are kept. They grab them quickly and destroy them. And then they are out.

The group flees the dungeon and heads to Hell, aka the Slave’s Quarters. A few hours later, and everyone arrives.

Nadia and Retameron are new here as well, they arrived months ago and were tossed in jail. So this is their first outing. After some cleaning and getting ready, (the Mirror World has various wells around it with Create Water spells cast on them) , they all meet with various leaders of the rebellion, including Ashgarth, who apparently is 3rd in command of the whole thing.

One of their major contacts in the guard, Zira, arrives. She has the command words to use the mirror’s portal back to the real world. She is in Skarda’s elite guard. She comes with bad news:

“Two problems. Big ones.

First ,Skarda’s gone off into the real world, and taken a few guards with him. Rumor has it that he’s about to launch a major plan. At least half of his soldiers are massing outside of the portal right now, in preparation. They expect that sometimes in the next few hours they’ll be jumping back to the real world.

Second, and this is actually worse, something just happened in the quarry, not long after Skarda left. There was a quake and the bottom of the mirror glass pit split wide open, there was a churning liquid in the gap. A lot of workers fell in and drowned. Then it began to rise, still filling up the quarry.”

The leaders digest the new information. They need to strike now, and bring the mass of slaves against the soldiers. They send out criers to talk about the rising water and the depths of the miner, and use pre-existing contacts to rile up their citizens.

In a half hour, a group of roughly 100 locals have already created a small mob, with leaders and the party and friends in various areas. A group of 20 1st level soldiers is dispatched to break them up, led by a 5th level fighter.

Again, too big to roll. Random.org.

We try to keep up with stuff like numbers for later. None of us want to use up spells or potions or anything prior to the bigger battles that will happen later, so the peasants, locals and fighters take most of the attack. But they still advance after taking out the soldiers, and 19 slaves died.

More flocked o the battle and suddenly 100 is 200 and 300 and more. The swell of the crowd is growing.

Another group of 20 soldiers arrives and are blasted. Alzar is using his knowledge of battle and tactics to help drive home wins. Another earthquake occurs, slightly stronger than the previous one.

[Abe Sargent]

They rummage through some meager defenses and take a gate. Soon they have most of the slaves rallied and a makeshift army of thousands moving towards the platform, where a few hundred guards wait. They have ordered defensive cordons, and Alzar tells the leaders to use their numbers in flanks, but to use fake flank on one side and a pure flank on the other. That way no matter what they prepare for, they are forced to take the flanking attacks seriously.

Using numbers and desperation, the slaves are winning, but hewn down in large numbers. I less than 30 minutes, they have pushed the defenders back until a handful are left. The party and allies lead the way to the Mirror and the slaves finish up the remaining defender. Zira gives the command word, and it opens, and they move out…


They emerge in a real world, in a large chamber somewhere where there is wealth. There are about 50 or 60 soldiers and Skarda fighting some locals. Skarda sees Alzar and crew emerge and casts teleport and flees.

They move into the group and begin to carve up the soldiers. About 10 peel off to handle the uber-party.

Again, with Alzar, Pashtun, Volcifar, Locinda, Tolvar, Nadia, Zira, Retameron, and a few others from the other side already through the portal, it’s just too many dice too quickly.

The high level fighters – Pashtun, Alzar, Retameron, and Zira flank off as others use missile weapons. Volcifar’s Sling of Seeking cracks into the head of one and drops it. They can have these guys easily enough. Nadia casts Burning Hands and drops three more.

The fighting in front is getting fierce and the group hits a few fighters for some light damage, although Alzar took 12 with his weaker AC.

Alzar 32/51


The guards are dropped in the next round from weapons and blades of various sorts.

The remaining group is trapped between fighters up front and Alzar and company up back. They are fully surrounded and flanked. This is an obvious answer. Alzar uses Vampiric Touch to kill one and heal up 10 damage. Another 5 guards fall before them and a handful of others. A few pricks of folks like Zira and Nadia ensue, but nothing too major.

Alzar 42/51


The guards push back and hack into some folks. Alzar and several others are pecked a bit. Then his group slays 6 more guards and the front folks took out more.


Alzar – 37/51
Pashtun – 32/38
Locinda – 16/31


There are only a few left. They are overpowered by the guards in front.

[Abe Sargent]

The people in front are apparently the bandit/guards here in Khaibar. Apparently Skarda’s plan was to use his mirror as a way to sneak an army past security and soldiers. Smart actually. Alzar wishes he had found a Mirror that absorbed people and stuff, he would have done the same thing likely.

They round the bend as Skarda arrives at the head of 12 more soldiers that have followed him. He is shouting obscenities at the party and is massively angry.

The only ones here, not cleaning up the squad in front of the mirror are Alzar and party, plus Nadia and Retameron.

The mages get ready to cast spells at Skarda. An Acid Arrow hits him for 3 damage this turn, and a Lightning Bolt from Nadia is on target when something deflects it and it dissipates. Skarda smiles and casts his own Lightning Bolt and hits Alzar for 10d6 damage, save for half. Let’s get some dice. 33 damage, and…Alzar fails the save and is dropped to 4/51. Alzar follows by drinking an Extra Healing pot and is back to 24/51.

The fighters are flanked off by the guards that moved forward, and Skarda is untouched by them. Minor battles ensue

Skarda wins init next round and casts one of his most devastating spells – Ring of Disintegration, right at Alzar. It’s another 10d6 spell, save vs half, and if he fails, even if he survives, a limb is sliced off. Let’s get some more dice. 29 damage. For the save roll, Alzar’s d20 tumbles and hits the save, and he takes 15 damage.

9/51

Skarda took 4 more from the Acid Arrow. Magic Missiles smash him for 6 and Nadia casts Flame Arrow and hits him for 7d6, save for half. It’s 22 damage, and he makes his save too. He still falls and dies.


Skarda is no more.

[Abe Sargent]

Seeing their leader fall, the guards, begin to pull back. Fighters are now joined by the successful folks from the battle in front of the Mirror and 25 people or so are now attacking the remaining warriors.

Alzar heads over to Skarda, and casts Detect Magic. He takes anything that glows, and a quick search
finds little else beyond the glowy magic things.

Wand of Fear 4 charges left
Ring of Beauty – (+2 Charisma to racial max)
Crystal Ball with Clairaudience
Potion of Resistance


And that’s it. No gold or gems or anything else. He dressed very ordinary. He used the gold and items he captured to fund the army, supplies, and such for years. Didn’t keep a lot for himself.

[Abe Sargent]

A few minutes later, the Mirror breaks and everything and everyone and every item in side of it pops out right where the Mirror was.

That enables Alzar and his group to slip away from the Palace here in Khaibar without causing too many scenes. One of the local leaders here runs the darker corners of the city from here.

Nadia and Retameron return to their tower and home to reestablish themselves. Zira, a mercenary, signs with the local Sandvoyagers.

Everybody gets 1500 XP from the guards and Skarda.

End of X12. Skarda’s Mirror

[Abe Sargent]

Not exactly a winning combination. The module lacks a lot of fleshing out. For example, there is no map or description of the ziggurat and palace in Mirror World. It says that if the party goes that way, just use another palace map you might have. There is an entire chapter on how to bring the party back to the main plotline in case the attempts to force them into the mirror, surrender, and so forth don’t work out; all in addition to the ham-fisted “you are a prisoner” plotline which does virtually nothing in this context. The final battle with Skarda includes this advice “…and the characters are propelled into their climatic battle. Make it a big, splashy one. If you have to fudge matters to keep Skarda alive for awhile – for instance, letting him automatically make his saving throws so that he’s not immediately annihilated – do so….ultimately, invariably, Skarda will be killed; it could be that he’ll drag some of the characters to death with him.”

In other words, it doesn’t matter if you have to kill some characters off to give them a nice fight, feel free to cheat this thing on up! BOO!

Not that impressive a place, sorry.

[Abe Sargent]

Begin of College of Wizardry





This is a supplement, which gives you a strong college and history, spells, quests, allies, enemies, and more. It’s one of my favorite from the eras, and we’ll add it here easily enough.

[Abe Sargent]

Just a day has passed since they went into the Tower and began looking for Skarda’s Mirror. After arriving in the sultan’s palace, it’s time to stay out of sight for a bit, just in case. They head out of Khaibar by the west gate and enter the desert. Two hours later they travel up rocks, and reach the College of Wizardry, overlooking the city proper from an outcropping.

As they close, the college beckons, and it is rife with carvings, images, statues and more going back a long time. The building has been restored and parts of it are newer and some much much older. They pull in and are greeted. Alzar asks to speak with Dirganun, the regent in charge of archeological digs, and supervising Aman Al-Raqib. He Is bearing the message to him.

After introductions are secured, and various spells cast to verify the veracity of Alzar (Detect Lie) they let his party in, and he is brought upstairs, while the others wait in a nice meeting room.

After a half hour or son, Dirganun enters, and his appearance is…odd. He his head is a darkened black back and hidden away. On his hand is a floating eye that peers at Alzar. The hovering eye, the lightness cowl, it’s an odd look for him.

Alzar introduces himself and produces the letter that Aman asked him to deliver. It is accepted and read. Dirganun thanks Alzar and asks for Alzar to wait and meet with the headmaster here at the Arcane Order of Enchantment and Exposition. He does.

[Abe Sargent]

A few minutes later, Alzar is taken to meet with Japheth Arcane, founder and headmaster of the Arcane Order. They meet and talk for a while. Japheth purchased the old ruins here a few decades ago, restored them, and then opened the college.

Alzar explains a bit of his heritage, how he came from another prime material plane called Thorasia, and arrived here more than two and a half years ago. On his home, there were wizard guilds, but he had never heard of a full blown college for teaching wizardry. He asks for a tour. Japheth Arcane agrees, as a thanks for ferrying the message to them.

They pass by a variety of things – spellcasting chambers, classrooms, a grand library, kitchen and mess, stables, and a lot more. They don’t get too personal, but there appear to be at least 30 or 40 wizards that live here (it’s more, actually).

Japheth tells a little of the history of the Order. He was raised in Khaibar, and it was a dirty, filthy town. Apprenticed early on to a local mage, the ruins over the city were always in his mind. He always wanted to restore them, and his home as well. After going out on his own and adventuring for a while, he came back, bought the ruins with the money he founds, paid for locals to rebuild it where necessary, and then brought in friends and allies to help open a College for anyone on Hamedh that wants to stay here.

Alzar inquires about spell trading, something that happened quite frequently in the wizard guilds back on Thorasia. That’s not really something most of the wizards here are interested in, but in case Alzar has an unusual spell that intrigues the locals, they won’t need much from him. Japheth passes Alzar off to Regent Wym ,in charge of the library and syllabus.

Regent Mogen Wym, a stern, overly truthful man meets with Alzar to consider if any of the spells Alzar has in his spellbook are worth acquiring. “Probably not, but prudence demands we at least look.”

While Alzar certainly has a few more unusual spells in his spellbook, like Emrakol’s Question or Death Armor, none strike their fancy. Alzar tells him about some spells in the other books he has decoded already. Nothing.

[Abe Sargent]

Alzar mentions that on his home plane of Thorasia, he had created a bunch of spells, including quite a few that dealt with books, scrolls, and such. Those proved to be really valuable. That tweaks Wym’s interest, mildly. “You don’t have any of those now?”

“No, when I arrived on this plane, I came with none of my possession, and my level of Magic was rolled back to years ago.”

“That’s…I’ve never heard of anything like that. Tell me everything.”

Alzar tells Wym his story, about building a portal, the portal apparently breaking and sending him here, and waking up around 30 months ago here with the altered state.

“Now you just need to get back home? Well we might be able to facilitate that. We could use some planar travel spells to send you back to Thorasia, and then you could come back here with the spells that you mention, if possible. We’d have to research it, but it could be done.”

Wym reveals his hand is wearing a Ring of Truth. No one can lie to him, and he can’t lie to anyone else. He mentions that they’d want all four of the spells he made – Bookcopy, Bookmend, Scrollmend, and Spellbookmend, and in the end, he’d get his freedom back. Not a bad trade. Alzar agrees to consider it.

They finish and head to dinner, in the mess hall, with various initiates and apprentices. Nadia is an initiate here, but is more of an associate.

Alzar’s party arrives for food as well, and they discuss their next plan. They could head back to Khaibar and explore the streets more. They also have a pair of treasure maps they could check out.

[Abe Sargent]

Alzar is really enjoying this place. He has never felt so invited anywhere like this before. He decides to head to Japheth Arcane’s table and ask about how one could join. Normally a person has to be a child to come through the ranks, but occasionally, someone older joins. They have to get permission and sponsoring by a current guild wizard or Regent.

But most older mages don’t have the mental fluidity necessary for the esoteric arts and the way they are taught here. But since Alzar helped both Nadia and Aman, they will bring out a device. Japheth orders one of the guild wizards here to grab the Criterion Needle. He explains it to Alzar.

This is a magical item that pricks the finger of a person. If their intelligence is below a certain threshold, they won’t feel it. If they have the minimum intelligence necessary to be a mage, then it’s a small prick. The smarter they are, the more it hurts. It doesn’t do any permanent damage though, and the pain fades quickly enough.

A few moments later, the Needle has arrived, and everybody has moved from their tables to check out Alzar’s test and see how it goes. Japheth grabs the Needle, Alzar’s finger, and then the two connect….


And Alzar fails his saving throw and passes out from the pain...

[Abe Sargent]

An hour later Alzar returns to consciousness, the pain all gone. Several wizards are looking over him, applying cold items and such. Japheth looks at him with a new respect, and Regent Wym is here as well. Prior to today, Japheth was the highest testing person here, ever. Only three for four students ever came through and tested as well as him in decades. And no one has ever tested higher. For Alzar to have felt that much pain…

That’s just unheard of.

Alzar smiles back. He is the recipient of a healthy adventuring lifestyle.

While the Ring of Truth is worn, Japheth asks more about Alzar’s desire to become a member of the College. After verifying it’s genuine, he spends some time telling about the doctrine of the College, and what a person has to give up. It would require 6 months as an Initiate in training, and then after that, depending on if he has re-mastered 4th level spells, he would be a Wizard in training for another year. Then he would have to pass a test, and if he did, he would swear an oath that required:

1) To give 10% of his earnings, including magical, from any sales, adventuring, gems, and other objects acquired.
2) To teach a class here at the College (if a guild wizard)
3) To mentor apprentices and/or initiates (if a guild wizard)
4) To never intentionally hurt the College
5) To dedicate at least the next 10 years of his life to the College.
6) To be assigned to help with various tasks, quests, researches, and projects as needed.

In exchange he would get:

1) To use the Grand Library and other antiquarian elements
2) To use the laboratories
3) To use the apprentices as needed for various projects
4) To be given a full room to himself and quarters for the duration of his stay

The only issue for Alzar is time. But he’s been here on Hamedh for so long now, that after thinking for a few minutes, he agrees to the ideas, in practice. Obviously nothing has been sworn in yet.

So the first thing he’ll need to do is secure the backing of a current guild wizard.

And Japheth has an idea.

“While you were zonked we had a missive arrive from the Kasbah of Ber-Gathy. Apparently, things have begun to fall apart there, and you can head out and re-connect with Aman, who can fill you in on the state of affairs and what could be done about them.”


Alzar agrees to head on out, and a few wizards grab some teleport other spells and in an hour or so, they arrive at the outskirts of Ber-Gathy after giving him a heads up about some basic information.

[Abe Sargent]

Begin X3. Curse of Xanathon




I know what you are thinking. Douglas Niles, early 80s (1983), maybe this is a hidden classic. It’s not. But it’s better than a certain mirror. We’ll run this from Ber-Gathy and substitute the town in the module for that place from Day of Al’Akbar’s map, but totally unfleshed there. Everything comes together!

[Abe Sargent]

Because of its proximity to Khaibar, Ber-Gathy is traveled by the Sandvoyagers to and from points north. The town is a small one that exists more as a requirement than as a luxury. For a few generations, a local Sheikh has ruled the Kasbah, and the current one, Alzar, was pretty highly regarded until a while ago.

Yes that right. The Sheikh’s name is Alzar too. How annoying that’s going to be!

The Kasbah has a small but powerful army, that is quite loyal, and a mix of people there are well. Sort of like a smaller Bralizzar.

However in the last few weeks, a few, increasingly bizarre decrees from Sheikh Alzar have brought mage Alzar to the scene to investigate, as they have made some problems.

The first was that all taxes must be paid in alcohol, passed a little more than a week ago. The most recent, just two days ago, was that all steeds, from camels to the rare horse, or many others, must be ridden backwards, with the rider facing the tail, rather than the head.

Things are getting a little strange in Ber-Gathy. Alzar has arrived to investigate. Unlike a lot of other towns in the area, Ber-Gathy is the largest it’s ever been. It’s grown into an area around 1000 or so, and there are areas inside with locals from various places, from the nomad tribes out west to a few Hek from east, and even some centaurs from the Desert Centaurs up north.

[Abe Sargent]

As they enter the gated and guarded city, they are arriving in the Old Town district.

Here’s the town map of Ber-Gathy!



(We are moving it from a coastal city to a desert one, and changing some of the particulars to match the Hamedhi setting generally, and the Sand Mire specifically. Just imagine that a square is 10 feet instead of 50, same set-up, just smaller)

As an important artery on the Sandvoyagers route, as well as near the Oued Khaud, a small river of life in the Great Erg of Arir out here in the desert, Ber-Gathy is in a prime location for doing stuff. (Want to see a map of the area? Can’t find one of the locality around Khaibar from the I9 supplement, sorry.) (it's on page 53 of this pdf if you care) http://archmagev.com/1st_Ed/1st%20ed...Al%27Akbar.pdf

[Abe Sargent]

Anyway, due to the strategic value of the area, Ber-Gathy has a very professional, but small, army that works under Sheikh Alzar. Alzar’s second-in-command is Marzuq, who runs the local military force out of the barracks here. He’s young, competent, and ambitious, coming off the Sand Mire more than five years ago and rising through the ranks quickly.

There are a few districts of Ber-Gathy. They are in old town right now, the oldest part of the Kasbah. This is no where the poorer folks live and relax, with a dilapidated tavern. There are a handful of warehouses used for storage by the Sandvoyagers and local merchants by both gates south and north.

Beyond those are some newer buildings that are the middle and upper class places for housing, taverns, and stores. There’s also a full blown market, open, with a lot of stalls, much like Bralizzar had. In addition to the barracks, and a modest palace/headquarters for Sheikh Alzar, there are also a trio of temples here to three different local deities. One is to the Goddess Nabilah, who is worshipped more in the west by the nomads than anywhere else.

A bard here is playing a baglama, a special stringed instrument on the streets.

[Abe Sargent]

There are about 25-30 local desert centaurs here in the city limits, trading, and acting as a sort of help for their people. They have a part-stables/-part-tavern that they run and can usually be found at by the north gate.

They party decides to check into a tavern in the middle of the Kasbah, The Inn of the Evening Star. There are a few shops here along the route, like a masons and goat’s milk. In fact, the nearby hills and river provide a nice area to raise goats, and there are goatherds about with their shepherds.

They arrive at the Evening Star and easily obtain a place to call home for a few days, as well as a few meals. The people here are talking about the last two orders passed by the Sheikh. There is no alcohol available at all, since it was used to pay the taxes.