[HoZ 4e] Heroes on a Sea of Swords - Jalil al-Farun's Thread

[Shadow_Elf]

The City of God, Dhuqa the 1st of Atumeq, AF 360
The Hunters prepare to go their separate ways for the day, planning to meet up and debrief the Captain later on in the evening.

OOC: This is the personal thread for your character. If you don't have any immediate private RP to do or questions to ask, you can just continue posting the main IC thread as normal. Feel free to use this thread for Private canonical IC actions as well as OOC questions about the direction you want to take your character's story, etc.

[Chambers]

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Cool. Do you remember when/how Jalil was going to meet with the Mysterious Stranger? I do want her to do some information gathering about MS but I don't think Streetwise makes sense. Maybe she has a connection among the Sabi community that is a Loremaster and would know? She's looking specifically for information about MS related to their powers they wield/can teach and any exploitable character flaws.

Also, how do you want to handle the Tattoo for Amirah? She sees that as a bargaining chip with MS. If Jalil is able to modify the tattoo to provide a back door for MS to track her/exert influence then Jalil would see that as a favor owed.

[Shadow_Elf]

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Abdullah was and is an unknown commodity. He was basically a hermit, before his creepy-crawly ascension. You can try a Streetwise check, but your chances of finding out anything are remote; the only person who's likely to know anything about him is Amirah.

As for the tattoo, Jalil learned the art of inscribing them through research performed over several years. She will be the one applying the mark to those in the party requesting them, and if something like a backdoor into Amirah's mark is a feature you want to add, that can be arranged. She'll need to do some more research and possibly consult with Abdullah on that.

Abdullah told her in their last communication that he would know when she entered the City of God and would leave a Swarm Prince in the vicinity to make contact with her just outside of town.

[Chambers]

Jalil

Thoughts of bugs and lightning occupy Jalil's mind as she weaves her way through the crowds towards one of the lesser used roads out of the city. She's a bug. You can't really trust or understand them. No, no just a bug, she's thousands of bugs! Jalil tucks her hair inside her cowl and lowers it to hide her face in its shadow. At least with weeks of living on that boat I won't have to worry about anyone recognizing my dress. She picks at the well-worn and stained robe and shakes her head. Burn it. Only thing that can be done.

Slipping aside the unfortunates in the streets she stands in the shade of a not particularly well kept building. This is as far out of the city as I'd really prefer to walk. Now where is this prince?

[Shadow_Elf]

A voice emanates in Jalil's mind; it seems to echo off the packed earth walls of the surrounding buildings, but none of those around her seem to hear it. The image of an young man in golden robes appears before her. It is made clear again that it is all in her mind, because the beggars at the alley's mouth show no sign of seeing the young man.

"Lady al-Farun," he says by way of greeting; he inclines his head ever-so-slightly, the gesture of acknowledgement used by most civilized folk among those of equal or unknown station. "We are glad that you wished to meet. We have much to discuss, you and Us."

[Chambers]

Jalil

Jalil opens her mouth to speak but smiles and returns the nod. << Salam. >> She looks around at the buildings with disdain and chooses a bench that isn't completely dirty, brushing some unidentified debris off it before sitting down. << It will appear suspicious if I stand and talk to something they can not see. I am glad that we were able to meet without delay. I have spent weeks upon a barge and I would not choose to repeat the experience. >>

She checks to make sure her hood is still lowered. << As I have just arrived, it's clear that I have not had time to conduct my own investigation into your history as was mentioned. However, there is an opportunity rising that may justify some hastiness in coming to an accord, one that has the potential to benefit you greatly. Allow me, if you will, to repeat what I know of the situation and then I'll tell you how I may be able to help you. >>

<< You were once a mortal sorcerer. You developed a method of diffusing your consciousness into a swarm in order to escape the weakness of a mortal body. Throughout the experimentation process you created prototypes of your swarm, of which Amirah is one. Somehow she gained sentience and escaped. Recently she's denied you in rejoining your form. >> She smiles wrly at that and bows her head in sympathy. << You mentioned having an innovation that would allow you to exert control over her, but she refused. >>

Jalil lays her hands atop her lap and stretches her back. << Apologies. Those of us still occupying a mortal body must deal with its limitations. >> She thinks and smiles. << Now. Amirah has expressed great interest in acquiring an arcane sigil much like my own. >> She shakes her head. << I did not explain to her that it is not just a 'magical tattoo' but a conduit through which the magic inherent in my djinnblood is channeled and that it would be impossible for anyone not of the blood to have one. I almost did, but held as I realized that she too possesses an inherent magic of a sorts. Some changes to the ritual would need to be made but I don't see a reason why it wouldn't work. >>

<< Which is where your innovation comes. If you can modify your technique or method for direct monitoring and control, I might be able to incorporate it into the sigil mark. There are no guarantees of course, all of this is uncharted waters. >>

[Shadow_Elf]

Abdullah
The young man smiles as Jalil takes a seat on the unattended bench, but says nothing until she is seated and comfortable. He listens to her words carefully. "This is... unexpected. We thought you would require more prompting to betray the wishes of Our lost daughter!avatar. Such a modification to the dweomer is possible, though much care must be taken... Our daughter!avatar is wise in the ways of magic, and the scent!signature must be concealed within your spell. What is it that you wish in return for this attempt?"

[Chambers]

Jalil

<< Leverage. >> Jalil thinks and smiles. << A mage of your quality knows many things, is capable of many things. One day I may have need of what you know and can do. I don't plan on living under the stern gaze of the priests forever. A day will come when they will know the limits of their power. >>

Jalil shifts on the bench. << There is insurance as well. As the channel for your control can be established so too can it be blocked. I don't think it would add much difficulty to include a failsafe within the sigil, a command that will dissolve it. Don't take this as a threat, merely a measure to protect my investment. >>

[Shadow_Elf]

Abdullah
The sorcerer laughs. "You seek leverage over Us? You are too bold, Lady Farun. You may attempt such a failsafe if you wish, but We will certainly not help you create it. We are not in the habit of dealing in favours; name your price, djinnblood, or stop wasting Our time."

[Chambers]

Jalil

Jalil smooths out a part of her dress. No, totally ruined. She nods slowly to the image and stands up. << I have named my price and you've chosen not to pay. I do not haggle or bargain, ser. >> She says and shrugs. << Our business in this matter is concluded, though I hope you won't take it as a refusal to do business again in the future, if either one of us has something that needs to be done. >> She says and pauses.

<< Now that I think of it, it must present some difficulty, to conduct certain of your affairs that require your presence in cities. Your transformation is not without it's costs, of course. Should you require assistance in such a matter I would be willing to meet with you to discuss the matter. >>

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Unless he reconsiders or brings up some other topic of conversation to talk about, she'll go. Her body language is indicating that she's ready to leave but it shouldn't be construed as a refusal of all further dialogue.

[Shadow_Elf]

Abdullah
The sorcerer laughs once more, and makes a dismissive hand gesture. "Go then, Lady Jalil of Hive!House Farun. We have no need for the mortal buzzings to which you allude. Return when you wish to deal in tangibles. We will wait." The red-garbed young man fades from Jalil's mind's eye, and she is once more alone in the dirty alley.

[Chambers]

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Cool. I figure she'll go back to her house, clean up, chat with her brother and then return to the Midnight Mirage. I'm fine with handwaving all that if you are and waiting for others to finish their deals.

[Shadow_Elf]

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The meeting with her brother might be worth RPing, depending on what she has to say. You're far from the one holding things up at this juncture, so it's up to you.

[Chambers]

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Hmm. She was going to give a brief overview of what they've been doing and her attempted machinations. If everyone else is still rolling might as well. I'm interested to see how you run him.

My vague idea of him is that he's a cutthroat businessman. I see him and Jalil having similar views about nobility and such and while they have no compunction about using other people to get what they want they actually trust each other. I believe I mentioned that they were twins (the brother slightly older) though I'm not certain of it.

Other notes about him from my head: He's not a mage of any sort and leaves her to be the expert in arcane matters. He doesn't share her resentment towards the priesthood (but is ambivalent about how she feels about them, maybe slightly amused) as his only concern about who's in charge is how they affect his profit.

Oh, also. Jalil won't transcribe the sigil with the backdoor for Prince Bug. She made the offer partly to see how he would react to it and in her opinion he reacted poorly, not taking the opportunity for power and then seeing how he could work within and then overcome the limitations that came with that power. Probably won't tell Amirah about it, at least not for the moment.

[Shadow_Elf]

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If your brother is the Farun patriarch from the setting info, he's a rather powerful sorcerer in his own right, as well as a ruthless businessman. Go ahead and put up a post having Jalil arrive in his office when you can and I will respond tomorrow.

[Chambers]

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Ah, my mistake about the sorcerer stuff. I'll have a post up tonight.

[Chambers]

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I've had Jalil-writers-block the last few days. Would you mind setting the scene?

[Shadow_Elf]

Farun Compound
After Jalil has taken her time putting away her things, having a proper bath and getting into new clothes not worn down by her weeks of travel, she makes her way upstairs to her brother's study. When she enters, Alzamir is lounging in his chair, filling out paperwork. Her entry prompts the sabi to lift his head and regard his (slightly) younger sister.

"Good afternoon, dear sister. I trust your sudden field trip to the middle of nowhere was at least somewhat fruitful? When you told me you want to help the esteemed Captain al-Farid kill the pirates that harry our trade routes, I didn't think you'd be trekking through unmapped woods, Jal."

[Chambers]

Jalil

"Nor did I." She says as she walks over to the sideboard and pours herself a drink of sweet fruit wine. "The Hunters were chasing down rumors of a ritual that would serve them in the war and so we went on a field trip." She says with a wry smile as she sits down opposite him. "Thought beset by dragons, swarms of insects, a vampire, a talking battle relic and a purple worm we prevailed in the end to recover...only part of the ritual." She shakes her head and takes a long sip.

"The trip was not a total waste though. The great wyrm was silver, her name Xarzigjezsk, Rimefang in our language. Her adoptive sons of a different breed attacked us as we traveled through her territory. We subdued them and arranged a pardon for them in exhcange for safe passage through her lands. She was most agreeable, for a dragon, and could prove to be a powerful ally in the future if she is convinced that our needs match her own." She says. "Within the caves that are her lair we met with pirates of Vertasi, the Pirate Queen of Liars. We dispatched them and their vampire lieutenant." She says and scowls. "The warforged Hunter that the Captain favors had the temerity to torture one of the pirates before slaying him. I do not trust it."

"Further within the caves we were accosted by a swarm of insects controlled by a sorcerer named Abdullah. Through horrifying rituals he had transferred his soul into a swarm of bugs, granting him immortality of a sort. One of the Hunters is a failed experiment of his, a swarm that somehow gained sentience. He tracked it down to absorb it back into his collective, but it refused and we dispersed the swarm after a fight. It was not the end of the sorcerer though. We communicated telepathically during the battle and agreed to meet once I returned here, and in fact have already done so."

"He is a strange man, seemingly convinced of his immortality and power. I do not truly know what he seeks or wants but offered to assist him in regaining control of his wayward swarm. He wasn't interested in extending a future favor and we parted ways with no deal between us. The offer was mainly to test his reaction, to see how much of a man remains after his transformation. He is overly sure of himself, I think, and I do not fully trust him. I'm unsure what use he will be but I think it wise to avoid making him an enemy without cause."

She sighs. "Unfortunately those were not all the abominations that we faced. Before we could leave the cave with the ritual we were confronted by another machine that called itself the Pirate Lord of War. It was very ancient in design and proved to be a very tough combatant, fueled by magic. Given our limited resources we were unable to destroy it as it projects a force field around itself and quickly repairs any damage sustained. We managed to put it on the bottom of an underground lake, though that was only a delaying tactic." She finishes her drink and smiles at him. "So...anything interesting happen while I was gone?"

"Oh, one last thing. While waiting for our barge in Aqur some petty thief stole the Captains wallet, loaned to the machine for safe keeping. I managed to impress upon our business manager there that it was his responsibility to retrieve the wallet and by the next morning he had done so. Not a very bright man but he performed adequately."

[Shadow_Elf]

Alzamir
Jalil's twin sits in silence as his sister explains their travels, tapping his fingers together repeatedly as he gives her his undivided attention.

"There is little dragon lore that remains to those that live today, but from what I have heard the silvers are not exactly on the smart or wise ends of the draconic spectrum. A potential tool, perhaps, to be wielded against our enemies," he muses.

"An immortal sorcerer forged from insects? Truly, this world is going mad. There was a time, dear sister, when twin sorcerers were the most fantastic thing this city had to contend with," he jokes, with a knowing smile. "He did not wish to deal in favours? Then he is a fool of an immortal."

"As for the pirate lords, I trust your Captain to deal with them. Did you know, they have conquered Luardo and named it New Asanam, claiming to be the Admajai empire reborn? The gall that those outlaws have to pretend to be civilized folk... interesting, though, that one of those ancient mechs would throw in its lot as a pirate..."

He smiles when she recounts the tale of the recovered purse. "Finding a stolen coin purse in Aqur is about as difficult as finding a needle in a bale of hay. That is impressive; I should make use of the man's contacts there more, step up our business a bit in the region if he's trustworthy. Thanks for the impromptu evaluation."

He stands makes his own way over to the sideboard, pouring himself a glass of fruity sweet wine. "When are you expected to report to the Captain, dear sister?"

[Chambers]

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Sorry for the long delay. I'll block out some time tomorrow evening to update.

[Chambers]

Jalil

"This evening. We are to reconvene at the Midnight Mirage before dusk. The swarm-child wishes to have a tattoo just like mine." She says and smiles. "She holds favor with the Captain so I held my tongue and told her it might be possible. I will need certain things...though I do not think the needles will work with her. I should be able to manipulate the residuum without them though."

"New Asanam." She says and shakes her head. "I can imagine the reaction of the frightened proles, but what has the palace said on the matter?"

[Shadow_Elf]

Alzamir Farun
Jalil brother shakes his head as he takes another swig of the wine. "The palace has condemned their takeover, but is forced to deal with their envoy diplomatically. Lord Coyne, as he styles himself, has relayed the demands of his 'Emperor' at length at court. The Sultan is not pleased with the pirates, but so long as they pretend to play by our rules, so must we. He has frozen aggression against the Corsairs until he is done dealing with them through diplomatic channels."

He sighs. "If you ask me? Captain Coyne's head should be severed from his shoulders and put on a pike as a warning to any other pirates who wish to play a game they have abused for so many years. And then the Sultan's fleet should crush the pirates, and liberate Luardo. Sadly, with the snakemen on their way... we simply cannot afford the resources required to deal with the Corsairs. So, Luardo will remain "New Asanam" until further notice..."

[Chambers]

Jalil

"I don't see why the Sultan is bothering to even pretend to treat them like legitimate rulers. They are pirates, nothing more. A pike is too subtle for them to understand brother. The head of their diplomat should be sent back with a bill for the service." She says with a scowl. She tilts her head and a gleam comes into her eyes. "Brother. I've just had the most fantastic idea."

"New Asanam will not last long and when it is toppled the people of Luardo will need to rebuild. Surely they will remember those who helped them during the pirate occupation and will prefer to deal with those as they will be trusted allies. Who wouldn't want to deal with someone who has helped save your family, even your country?" She says. "We should put out word to the Luardo refugees that our ships will carry messages to and from their family members still trapped in the country. With enough discretion the pirates won't know that our merchant ships are carrying the letters - and surely trading ships will be welcomed in New Asanam as they want to act like a real nation. We act as messenger service for the displaced and oppressed and when they have their nation once again we will be in a position to secure favorable contracts, perhaps even exclusivity."

"Letters are an easier cargo to hide from the searches that will most likely happen to any ship entering or leaving port there than say...people. I'd be reluctant to smuggle arms into the country on our own...but perhaps one of the Sultans advisers may be interested in fomenting a peoples rebellion in New Asanam. With the proper material and support from the Palace that may become an option as well." Jalil says and takes the last swig of her wine.

[Shadow_Elf]

Alzamir Farun
Jalil's twin shakes his head. "There is a detail I have yet to convey. Reports tell that the city was taken single-handedly by the Pirate Queen of Liars. That she used some manner of witchery to control the city guard, turning them against the populace. If that pirate witch can conquer the city by herself, I doubt that any sort of organized people's rebellion will work."

He takes another swig and returns towards his desk. "The letter running plan, I like. I will run it by our Captains, see what I can do about that. Not many refugees have arrived yet, but there will be some. The pirates wanted subjects, so they did a pretty good job of keeping people in the city after their takeover. As for a head on a pike, or in the mail... with the she-da-zhong at our doorstep, I doubt that we have the resources to punish the pirates' insolence in any manner. We can't afford the backlash right now."