Thirty-Sixth Session - The Gates of Azkaresh

The session picks up at dusk as the party resumes the final leg of the trek toward Azkaresh. A dot appears on the horizon, getting closer. A perception check reveals a humanoid approaching on a flying carpet.

Donna, when consulted, recognizes the figure as a courier of Azkaresh. Max readies a javelin just in case, and Celia casts Resistance on him to be safe. Ishaq steps forward to greet him and do the talking.

The courier is a friendly androgynous figure named Damien, sent with packages for us. One for Raul, one for Tidus/Titus (Fin), one for Alana, each of which has to be signed for.

Alana receives a letter-sized package. The letter is from a person named Jainith, and reads*'I'm glad to hear that you're coming. You can meet me in the lower quarter the night of the half-moon, I'll be in a pub called the Killjoy's Walk.'* The letter also contains a key. Alana does not relate its contents to the others. **It will be half-moon soon, and is currently between full and half.**

Fin receives a new silver trident from Solomon, and begins attuning to it. It's a magical weapon he has used before, and he knows it allows the casting of the spell Tidal Wave once a day.

Raul receives a letter with instructions from the Crown. He is \*not\* to bring the Keepers in the Palace under any circumstances. Lodgings for the party have been arranged in the barracks. The letter also warns for the Keepers  to avoid the Starred Guard. Max asks about this name, and hears from Damien that they're the Governor's 'special guard.' The current governor is Rashid, who has reigned for at least 20 years.

Azkaresh history check: Azkaresh was conquered in the second wave of Raith expansion, and has been under the Crown for maybe 600 years. Due to its remote location in the desert, it has a certain level of independence. Raith mainly holds on to it for the sake of trading across the Sandsea, but allows it a certain leeway. The Crownguard is there, but the Governor also maintains his personal Starred Guard. The Starred Guard are all magic users and have their own academy in Azkaresh.

Ishaq asks if Damien has gone to Raith at all, and learns it would be 2 gold to carry a message to Raith. Couriers can be found at a place called The Perch, and Ishaq makes plans to find Damien there later and arrange for the sending of messages to his allies and contacts. Damien departs, after receiving a 2 GP tip from Ishaq and another one from Alana.

Before the caravan leaves, Celia and Ishaq burn the merchant's body, laying to rest Hakarim Onsai.

After one more day of travel during the night, the Keepers and their arrives at the entrance to Azkaresh, built into the sides of vast cliffs rising out of the desert. The entrance is called the Raith Gate, a narrow gap in the rock fortified with arrow slits and murder holes. Many other people are at the gate, filing in, wearing bright colours. Other caravans are arriving to trade, with dewbacks and camels and horses.

The Gate is manned by four guards, two are Crownsguard and two are Starred Guard. Alice recognizes them from Rashkha's dream - these are the masked, magic-wielding executioners who fought the Keepers in Rashkha's worst nightmare. Rashkha is stone-faced at the sight of them. Insight check by Fin and Alice reveals she is shaken, but holding it together.

AND THEN FUCKING DISCORD CRASHED SESSION OVER

Events that took place out-of-session:

* Max went shopping, replenished expended items
* Max also met up with Immanem
* Ishaq met up with Damien at the Perch, contracted them to pass messages to contacts in Fairsold, Raith, and Porthaven. He also got a bit more information about the city's situation, including an upcoming beast as annual tribute to the capital, and the reactions of the two Guard factions to the Keepers coming
* Ishaq then drew the rune of the Dream Devourers on the walls to see what reaction it would provoke. The Starred Guard recognized it and were deeply alarmed, and Ishaq had a tense encounter with one of them named Kailren Shaw.
* Alice asked around at the Perch for news of a place called Abdera