They Read Her Freaking Letter

==Season Twelve Episode Six==
Preceded by: Season Twelve, Episode Five: Ain't Never Had An Acquaintance Like Me
Followed by: Season Twelve, Episode Seven: Ghost Town
==Summary==
: The morning after the ogre battle, the party wakes up still in the small shop. Its owners greet them and offer them an exchange: the deed to the building for their horses. This building is a combination market shop and house, with two levels and several bedrooms; it is messy, but in good condition. It would normally be worth 25-30 asse. But the values of goods have changed dramatically now, and anything that can offer transport is extremely valuable. Leilah proposes that the party butcher the horses for food, an idea which is eventually dismissed. The party confers for a while, then decides to decline their offer. (Did we just give them the horses? I think we did?) 
: The party decides to wait for nightfall before continuing on their journey. They watch suspiciously out the windows as the day passes by. Others are similarly peeking out of other buildings, afraid of bandits or some further horrid disaster. Around mid-day a young halfling woman with jet-black hair jumps from rooftop to rooftop carrying a large bag of treasure. 
: Later in the afternoon, an ox runs into the marketplace, out of control without its driver, cart trailing behind. Ashra runs out and charms it, then relieves it of its cargo. The party gives the ox to their grateful hosts, then examines the boxes. There are five crates in total: one has six hooded lanterns, one has five gallons of oil, one has one thousand roofing nails, one has five layered panes of glass, and one has six small boxes, very well padded. Someone in the party (Ashra? Leilah? Semna?) determines that the boxes contain potassium nitrate, an extremely explosive substance. The Home Pipe Bomb Kit goes into party loot for later division, and the party waits for nightfall. They hear an elf woman and a gnome man fighting with spells and words in the distance, but the sound fades.
: Finally it is time to head out. There is some light from the Jarhen district burning, but otherwise everything is very dark. The party passes many blocks of burned out and looted shops. A few buildings have survived and are now barred against further intrusion. At around 9 PM, large groups of people scurry from street corner to street corner, making for the same bridge that the party is headed for. 
: This is the Urbid Bridge, and it is in a sad state. Chunks have fallen off of it to be replaced with wooden beams, and a group of three men in black full plate are holding the mouth of the bridge against the group of ten men in leather clothing. The leather-clad men are nothing but commoners wielding tools, and they are easily vanquished. Semna and Ashra talk to the black-armored brigands: they want a toll to pass the bridge, one easily within the party's budget but impossible for these commoners.
: The party withdraws to debate whether to pay the toll. There is one commoner surviving who wants to save his family on the other side, but they could afford to pay for him too. Ashra kind of wants to kill the brigands for fun and catharsis, but the others point out that the toll is easier and safer, and no one is getting their warrior of justice on at the moment. Eventually the party pays the toll for them and the commoner, and pays his way back as well. They are allowed across the bridge. 
: As they cross the bridge, Ashra looks out over the water. There had been an island between the bridges, but it has now been almost completely wiped out. There is a small shanty town full of people. The island from the letter is visible as well. It is not really so much an island as a great rock sticking out of the river. It once held docks, but those were destroyed long before the Awakening, and only remnants of them remain. Several stone compounds seem to have survived, as well as some wooden structures. No ships are moored there. 
: The party heads onto the central island. It is heavily fortified, with all the guard towers lit. The rest of the central island is a madhouse, with a hundred thousand people without food or water. Everywhere is crowded. 
: The party joins the press of desperate people on the road. Soon a carriage careens towards them, its two black horses out of control. It is coming from the temple mount, and is a very fancy carriage. Ashra mind blasts the horses, and the carriage crashes on top of them. Leilah pulls out the Shatterspike and uses it as a Jaws of Life, carving an Arabic door into the side of the fallen vehicle. She assists a stunningly beautiful woman out of the wreckage. 
: This woman is dressed in jewels and silks, and identifies herself as Sora Al-Scarab, concubine of Abbasid Shia, Governor Caliph of Malagassy. She is very grateful to the party for their help, and asks that they also take her back to the palace, as she is concerned for her safety in this crowd. Leilah talks to her and secures the party's safety in return, and the deal is sealed. 
: The party pulls out their best stick and club like weapons to make a path, works out a formation around Sora, and escorts her as she leads them down the road. Instead of going straight to the palace, she leads them to a small shop called The Wizard's Lore. She opens it with a golden key, then leads them into a tunnel in the store's basement. This tunnel continues for some time, then is blocked by a great stone. On the stone the following words are carved:
:: I drift as slowly as a lazy river.
:: I dance upon as little as a puff of air. 
:: I tumble better than the greatest acrobat. 
: The party considers the riddle, someone supplies, "A leaf," and the stone rolls aside. The tunnel leads up and into the caliph's palace. 
:... Which is currently full of wall to wall complaining nobles. The harem is overcrowded. Aasimars are everywhere. Sora leads the party up to a set of ornate doors, where she is met by some guards. She speaks to them, and they collect the party's names. When they reach Leilah, she pauses. Leilah in particular is asked to wait, and the guards rush off to fetch the caliph. Sora goes with them. 
: The party is not sure what Leilah might have done; Ashra suspects that the holdup has to do with Hannibal Maloch being framed for the Sirius incident, and provides some scripture about the sins of the father meant to exonerate Leilah. Leilah herself, however, is convinced of her innocence and decides it is best not to attempt an escape. She insists that the party wait patiently for the return of the Caliph and his men. 
: The caliph arrives, and he seems grave but not upset. He shows Leilah a letter on a thin piece of loose papyrus, written in an elegant hand. He asks Leilah how her seal and his both came to be on the letter; she replies that she does not know. He asks if she will submit to various truth magic, and she does; the party is taken deeper into the palace while some clerics question Leilah. Eventually they are convinced that this letter really was written as it claims to have been written, and Abbasid Shia offers all his help to the party as they attempt to fix the Awakening. 
: Ashra explains about her own mission to Caltris's Rock, and asks for aid in getting there. The Caliph's djinni will take the party there, but he cannot go at night. The Caliph offers a room for the night, as well as information on the history of the place. Caltris's Rock was the site of many terrible magical experiments, and was eventually evacuated. It is now abandoned, and possibly cursed. 
: The party retires for the night. Avimeus finds a suitable noble to dally with. Semna finds a suitable aasimar to intimidate. Aether and Cicero get laid somehow. Leilah and Ashra stay in for the night, doing bible study or buying scrolls of lesser restoration or something like that. 
: They will reach Caltris's Rock at 9 PM the next day.
Category:Episodes Category:Season Twelve Episodes