A Dangerous Proposition

Prev: Shattered Stone

Session 1 of A Dangerous Proposition, the 3rd episode of the 1st season of A Brighter Sun (Overall session #9).

Took place on April 15th, 2026. PCs were level 7.

Synopsis

SESSION SUMMARY

The party arrives in the white marble city of Kalidnay via North Gate, escorted to the luxurious House of Qafar west of the pyramid. They remove slave tattoos from their ten ex-slaves using time-rewind magic, house them in a secure hostel, and discuss their futures amid slavery norms. Enjoying opulent hospitality, they undergo spa treatments including massages, grooming, and custom attire. They attend a lavish opera depicting the romance of Kalid-ma and her high Templar Thakok-An, briefly encountering Queen Ka-Tet. In formal court, they recount adventures, present exotic fruit seedlings as gifts, and in a private audience, accept her commission to retrieve a sacred obsidian orb from the forbidden City of the Dead, facing undead guardians and a funeral procession en route. Rewards promised upon success without violating conditions.

TIMELINE OF EVENTS

1. Arrive at Kalidnay's North Gate, follow boulevard to House of Qafar.
2. Remove tattoos from ex-slaves with successful time magic, aided by party and NPCs.
3. House ex-slaves in vetted hostel, discuss manumission challenges and futures.
4. Indulge in spa day: grooming, massages, hair styling, custom Kalidnay fashion.
5. Attend four-hour opera on noble side, featuring droning music and choreography.
6. Maneuver at intermission and exit, brief polite interaction with Queen Ka-Tet.
7. Formal pyramid court audience: share obelisk adventure, present fruit seedlings.
8. Private chamber meeting: Queen reveals orbs, tasks orb retrieval from City of the Dead.
9. Agree to quest conditions: return orb intact, minimize guardian harm, avoid detection.

QUESTS

• Retrieve the Orb from the City of the Dead [Accepted] Queen Ka-Tet tasked the party with entering the forbidden City of the Dead to retrieve a specific obsidian orb from the tomb associated with Kali the Holy Mother. Conditions: return the orb immediately without using it, avoid stealing or damaging other artifacts, minimize killing sacred undead guardians (Templars transitioned via ritual). Journey approximately 3 days each way. Possible encounter with funeral procession of noble son. Reward: each party member may request one boon within the Queen's power not violating her faith.

CHARACTERS & NPCs

• Qafar - Host Provides luxury stay at his house, covers costs, knows Queen.

• Vizier - House staff Heavy-accented T'rish, welcomes party.

• Nia-nu-su - Priestess companion Courtesan, status symbol, provides etiquette advice.

• Queen Ka-Tet - Ruler Single, possesses magical obsidian orbs (eye, voice, heart, hand), offers quest reward.

• Dakhan - Senator Party patron, conversationalist, maneuvers socially.

LOCATIONS

• Kalidnay City of white marble with central pyramid, bisecting canal for boats, broad boulevards with markets, priesthood side with gold banners and religious law, noble side with green banners and lords' laws.

• House of Qafar Luxurious multi-story residence west of pyramid, features garden, driveway for wagons, lavish balconies facing pyramid, private suites with fireplaces, bathtubs, wind towers.

• Great Pyramid Exact city center, site of formal court on elevated first floor, canals meet at base.

• North Gate Main entry point into city.

• Opera House Noble side venue for lavish performances with unique music, costumes, choreography.

• City of the Dead Distant mausoleum city for honored dead, forbidden except burials, guarded by undead templars and constructs.

LOOT & ITEMS

• Fruit Seedlings Sprouted seeds from ancient tree fruit, presented as gift to Queen Ka-Tet Note: Unique specimens from 2,000-year-old revived tree

• Custom Kalidnay Attire High fashion clothing crafted by House of K'f'ar clothiers Note: Acquired during spa day

COMBAT ENCOUNTERS

• None this session (social/political focus)

MEMORABLE QUOTES

"With her fucking voice, she couldn't even say that to my fucking voice." — Six, on hearing the Queen's Pyrene voice

NEXT STEPS

• Provision supplies, healing items, and travel gear for six-day round trip. • Depart for three-day journey to City of the Dead. • Navigate land safely, evade noble procession detection.

============================================================ SESSION TRANSCRIPT

Did we finish off on the trail to get here or did we finish off getting here? You arrived at the city at the end. This is... something. One of the famous exports of Talmud, white marble. They have plenty of it and it shows this is a city of pure white where it's not emblazoned with colorful tile work. The geometry of it all is weirdly perfect. The pyramid is at the exact center and everything radiates from that central district including this Crescent City-length bisecting open-air canal which is used for transit. The whole thing is basically a picture of purification. What is the depth on the water in the middle? On this waterway? It's enough for boats. It's maybe like... 16. Yeah, they don't want people drowning in it. So, like maybe 5 feet. The bottom is all these colorful mosaics of various tiles. On both sides of this canal are broad boulevards lined with marked stalls. Signs in various languages beckoning to all visiting foreigners to try their wares. The Gemini got it almost perfect, but there are in fact bridges. You're not completely fucked if you're on the wrong side of the canal. Well, I figured this is just one shot of it. This is probably from a fridge. Yeah, sure. There's probably a little more space, but I mean, like, yeah, that could be because overall... Greetings from Kalidnay. So this is... I read all through all of this. This is more accurate to the farm stuff where the canal continues, but now the city is super tiny. So just ignore the city. This is a little bit more accurate, although there's a little bit more green and there's more canals, but none of them are as big as the central canals. Like an Egyptian Venice. Now, of course, We will be warding us. But I'd like to offer you something else. As a ghost who seems much too generous. I'm only here to have a direct soundboard. I'm not imprisoned in my own mind, stuck in a literal physical prison with an insane idol. The city is not entertained for us. So there aren't really many inns or hotels. There's some beds in the room. I don't think that's new. I am staying at the house of Kavon. The correspondence spread to my home. No notice of the city. He's turned one of his houses into a Hotel of Sons. Calibrated to the level of luxury. And I believe it has more than enough space from the planet. Why not? I'll see you're going to say no. For your hotel. I'm not going to just turn around. I was wondering if any place was big enough to have this small menagerie or just... Your mechalots are happily pulling the wagon full of crap, mostly bulk goods and several neglected magic items. You enter, of course, whereas I'm one of the main gates. You came in... yeah, you were probably entering from the North Gate. We'll assume this is rotated so this is the North Gate. Basically, you just follow the main boulevard, go into the inner structure, and it's like somewhere over here. This entire left side is the Oak Corner, and this entire side is the Oak Corner. I totally had a clip in mine. Me too, actually. Well, these do look a little bit more... I mean... These are very straight up Greco-Roman. Yeah, exactly. This is not a literal map, but I'm thinking the... yeah, you're west... the building is west of the pyramid. So this really was the south. But either way. There's actually these banners and on the priesthood side they're all gold. And on the noble side they're all green. There are occasional like steels, like these big stone structures that are carved in multiple languages to explain the laws. When you are on the priesthood side, you are obeying religious law and it's enforced by the Templates. On the green side, you obey laws set by the Lords depending on who owns what land. Virtually every square foot of wood here on the noble side. They party a lot harder on the noble side. It can also be very confusing with legality. Here you have a guide. He sent a... Kaffar had some people in the market and they were just waiting in case you need an escort. Not that this isn't a perfectly safe spot. It's a little more laid back in the... Sure. There's less hustle and bustle as you leave this main volubar. Almost all foreign trade. And there are people hawking goods and signs advertising things because foreigners are allowed to buy things that Citizens aren't. Some of that fine willow you guys have. Thousands of them. Maybe not thousands of them. But like garbage bags. The house, so far, is a literal house. I think the same way that the White House is a house. It's like 60 feet tall, but it looks like it's only two floors. just colossal ceilings. And you see on one face as you enter, there's this garden and a big half circular driveway easily fitting your huge wagon. But you see all those rooms up there have these lavish balconies draped with statuary and all that. And all of them a clearer view of the sheer white side of the Great Pyramid. And they're all facing east so they don't get that glaring afternoon sun. Welcome, says some sort of vizier, like the heavy-accented T'rish. Welcome to the House of K'f'ar. You must be Senator Dakhan and Amagists. Please, please, you've traveled so far. Relax. All be done for you. A small army of slaves and servants emerge to just gather everything. Everything short of carrying you bodily into the place, Vis is immediately... I'm so, like, I'm here, like, I'm very kind of cringe about this. I'm gonna carry my stuff. Thank you. Thank you. You've gotten in the habit of it. You're like this army boot camp. He just has 80 pounds of crap. And at this point you guys have- I can imagine they're trying to take it. I think most of your possessions by weight are probably gonna stay with the wagon. Yeah. And they have handlers who will take it to a safe, guarded location. They'll feed your animals. There is An uncomfortable question, because I don't think you guys had the opportunity to visit the clothing store and the bath store and the barber to make your ex-slaves not look obviously like slaves. Yes, that would be best. Let's clothe our slaves. Let's have a little mini-passion show for our slaves. Like, you get being in love with Claus for the first time in your entire existence. As is custom. As it was in Tear, all the slaves have tattoos. Brands, essentially. But they're tattoos not to the skin. And to mark who they belong to. Question. Can I... I'm gonna try a little test. I'm gonna try and localize, rewind time to on the skin where the tattoo is to try and rewind it to the floor. Have I made those other changes? Nope, I have not. Okay, the current text is very, like, vague. It only mentions stealing and preparing objects, but the concept is there. Do you want real dice or fake dice? How many slaves did we have to remove it from? 10. Let's see. Can you... Can't get it on a take 10. Unless you have... Let's see, you're at plus 8 now. You might want to get a plus 1 implement. I think so. Let's start looking for that. I thought I'd gotten an implement. I don't know if there's an enchanter in the party. I'll probably get something here too. Sure. He just wouldn't have had it. before in the city. But if you fail... So 10 is my minimum to get it? So I'll assume you have... Okay. How many Axles fell? I assume she got Pip. Uh... The priestess wouldn't be opposed. She's not a massive anti-slavery advocate or anything, but... You can do whatever the hell you want to them. That'll get you to 22. Vis can try to help, he doesn't think of himself as a spellcaster, but he is technically a spellcaster. So if they all succeed, we only have to roll a spellcaster. Okay. The first one will determine whether This really works out. Or if it's two. I forgot which purple was which. But it doesn't matter, it's just numbers. That's the card? No, he's green. Okay. Both of your party members failed you, but the NPCs helped you. Okay. So that's plus four, so you have to get a number. Roll it. Add 12. Okay, so only a 12. I got a 12. Okay, adding 12, that's 24. You start... Why not? Start with the 10-year-old boy. Yeah. Yeah, you can tell he's had this for more than a minute, more than a round. Careful not to send him too far back. and then I have one tiny little baby cheek. They're not as cruel as the Tyrans. Well, even Tyrans don't usually do this. You only get tattoos on the face when you've been naughty like this. His is on his hand. Okay, good. There's actually two, but I'll let you go two for one. Because one is slave status and the other is... Oh, okay. So essentially we're treating them as one mark. Okay. Alright, 14 in the second. I think it works. Beautiful! Okay. I think the 12 is my test or are we just letting that? We'll just say since they gave you a big enough plus and you're doing this in an non-stressful situation, as long as 10 hits then you can take 10. Beautiful. Okay. You've proven the concept. Now let's get to the rest of that. You can make them, you know, as presentable as possible. I don't know if you guys... Well, the face is pretty obvious and you can't really cover it effectively. So I'm like, once we... It's like processing them. I'm gonna remove their tattoos and then release them to get the change of clothes and bath that they deserve to help them not feel like a slave anymore. Vis will help the men shave. If you guys have been out of the room for a while, they look pretty scraggly. Don't worry. Very, very good. I think with an obsidian dagger you don't need much. It's as sharp as a straight razor. Might have to be sharper than a straight razor. And I think Ordo can do basic cleaning. You can turn sweaty, dirty clothes and they'll be suddenly freshly cleaned and dried and pressed. So everyone will look camped. Well, Anderson, she uses a little ordo for the women's hair to style it. Is it really, I think it could help easily with the styling? There are definitely markers. Like, there are hairstyles you won't see in a nice way. Most of them have fairly short hair. They just don't want it getting in the way of whatever they do. But it's still, you can work on it. It's not like military or anything. I'm gonna give him a little bit of an open. I didn't publish the parting treasures. Just checking if you guys have anything. We've got a cloak. Unless you can weave cloth out of little, but... I mean, you do actually have some laborers in there. I might know how to make co-op if you've had something to make it fun. I mean, they might be willing to do that. Like, we could... I mean, I'm gonna pull... I mean, because we kind of bought them as a group, right? They were not an individual purchase. We bought them as a group. So I'm like, I think it's reasonable to start having the conversation of are we gonna ask them if they want to be released in the city or in tier? So... There was some discussion and I think the resident expert, Ries, just, I don't know, soon she can tell you how it works. If you give them freedom, they are free, except you aren't citizens, so you can't do that. So we can't give them freedom here. Now you could give them to a Kaladin citizen on the pinky square that they were gonna free them, but There's only one of those here. She's a priestess. And when the priests own slaves, they defend property of the church, not the individual priestess. So she can't legally do this. Now, if you want to fake it and just say, oh, these are pre-tyrans that just came with us. Exactly. You might be able to get away with it, but she says they do look, they look like slaves. If you get them you know, dressed up nice. They might simply have the Eliza Doolittle problem, but they still sound like slaves. And sounding like a slave isn't so much speaking Cockney as it is just generally having an accent. Most slaves are foreign and taken as compost. Yeah. So it's like, it'll be, the look is more important. And between the tattoos and if you can Just quickly sneak them in and get some discretion at the hotel and buy some middle-class clothes. They can come in with the animals and stables and just be servants. That's where I am, settling all the animals in the stable. Yeah, while I was removing tattoos. We can't make our slaves in space tattoos. Don't try to get Qafar'd and put them in the five-star hotel. He's gonna get a little offended. No, we're not asking. But you can definitely afford a, you know, a flophouse. Some place with beds probably nicer than the ones they used to sleep in. Common spaces, hostels. They're not sleeping in the stables, they can sleep in a hostel for like a copper piece a night. Now, staying in the city long term is tough because being free is great, but there's no social safety net. The social safety net is because of slavery. So they don't have jobs, the craftsmen might be able to get a job, but it's hard because this is not a free city. You have to... Alright, so essentially their only option is to come back if that's a tier. Pretty much. They can give it a try. You could try to find them So is the 10 year old an orphan or is he with his mother or father? So neither parent was with him when you got him. But... They weren't the ones that sold into slavery. They are alive and they've been split up. But he's able to tell you they're also slaves. That's why he is. But his father was a smith. So he was taken and he makes things for the church and his mother is weaving things for some tailor. He wasn't worth anything so they were going to send him to be sold in some northern city. Hmm, I think you should just come with us here and we'll figure out what's there. Sounds like both of the parents are on the expensive side. Although you guys do have a bunch of money. And you got money coming because I would love to just buy his parents' house, like if we don't know if that's gonna be an option. Yeah, Vis has gotten to know all kind of them and what their deal is. It varies. There's a couple of Ashkari in the game that just really want to get back to their tribe. It's tough because they're nomads, so there's not really a great way of talking about it. Well, they probably have a yearly meeting site. Most nomadic tribes do. That's what the Plains Indians did. That's what a lot of the early hominoids did. That's how we got religious temples in the first place, because they would be the place that you would go to year after year. To trade, to marriage. Their biggest fear was not being accepted, that these marks would taint them. But when you get rid of the marks, especially those two, their symbols have a deep They felt incredibly grateful. I could probably see their- Some of the others were scared. Like, this thing is a safety net. You can't harm a slave. They'll just take me back to my master. But without it, I'm free, meaning no one gives a shit. And a couple of them are openly talking about finding a new master, since the one thing they would have the privilege to do is sell themselves on their own terms. That's true. I mean, like, if you choose to do that, you can't. I mean, I guess three is three. Most would prefer to go back to where they came from if that's possible. They know that safe travel to a long city is an expensive commodity. But Vis has been chatting up to you. Like, I don't know what you've heard, but it's true. It's a slavery is completely outlawed. You have rights. In fact, right here is generally a more chill place, but there is one exception and it was plain and all of those steals describing the laws. Women, and women have the right to own property and bank accounts and the whole nine. All sexual contact requires consent. It is illegal to lay a hand on a girl. Is not a woman yet. I'm really vague on what that means. Yeah, so I was wondering, what is the age of woman? All of this applies to slaves too. Technically prostitution. Prostitution is not technically illegal, but it is virtually illegal to attempt to open a business of prostitution for five years. Yeah, like a, you know, they're not gonna crack down on a woman who's just sleeping around. But the, yeah, if you have a slave, you're not allowed to just use them. There's not much difference between that and slavery. Now, of course, in practice, who you're gonna believe, some slave or a rich man. But it's the market is not as, you know, the demand isn't as high because there is a form of legalized prostitution. The companions are all priestesses. That's in fact who Nia-nu-su is. And you just think of it kind of like fire. They are all courtesans. And I mean, with them around, you don't really need illicit prostitution. Of course it does happen. And now that there's foreigners, of course foreigners aren't bombings, so they can sell themselves if they'd like to. A lot of people are really not liking this foreigner rule. It's a huge loophole to which the progressives say, you're right, perhaps we should give foreign people citizenship. Like, well, hold on, we don't want that either. Yeah, you just want everybody gone. The political issue of the day is foreigners are here and everything is impure now. They're getting their customs for us. They're polluting the culture. For now, your slave, free slaves, of questionable status are in a safe hostel. You found a small one that only had room for about a dozen and just said, renting it all out, don't let anyone else in. Give them like twice what they ask for, no questions asked. Vis will vet this candidate poorly. Really? She whispered in his ear. No. No, no, no, no, no. How about, let's go find another one. He's gonna stay with us. You find a much better one, thanks to the other road who's better at roguing. I know those eyes. Those, no. I also roll. I think she'd be extra sensitive. It's like, no way I'm putting anybody. Viz has also been hitting on every eligible woman in both of these episodes. I've been rolling for him. He's been striking out. And he got a lot of chances with her. She's interested, but he's not selling it right. He's too easily flustered. Boy, how do you... You can't get more erect when you see this fucking hotel. Like, this hotel is too good for sorcerer kings. I have my pregnant lemur. That's fine. It's not at the bar. It's like you're punching. Luxury hotel, Sherman. It's teaching me a lot about mammals. They have bastard spores and bugs and some lizards, but mushrooms. Is it like to be stroked? Right here. That's where their ears come from. They're like scratch my ears. Unlike cats and dogs, you know, they aren't unable to reach parts of their body, but they're still mammals. They still like touch. They're very good parents. She's been talking about X-A, did she have babies? Did she even exist? Where did she come from? Presumably you took a snapshot in time. Yeah, exactly. I think she was just there and she's a divergent... She's telling me about all of the stuff. So if you have any questions about the environment or whatever, like... She's telling me all about everything she knows. She wasn't even born in the tree. She was born in a different tree. Might as well be like a different city-state. Yeah. It was such a long journey. Save the ground, the dangerous ground. I would sit down with you and hear all about the lemur story. You've had time. It's like a tough story time at the lemur. And we have reports so you can hear it talk too. I guess they're just like, they talk really fast and excitedly. ADHD brain. I'm so excited to get to know this lemur. It only has a lemur's perspective, so, you know. I love different perspectives. But if it gains levels, it can start to gain a human perspective because it's hanging out with the rapport score with all its futures. Or maybe later you can cast the waken. We heard human intelligence. Speaking of human things. So each of you have a private room. Approximately the size of a penthouse suite. All of you have an assigned slave for all your needs, but there's plenty of other slaves, and you don't just have to have the one. Can you get me some charcoal pastels? It's hard to know. Absolutely. There's a... They are... They're more like, you know, butlers. They're very fancy slaves. They're your own personal concierge. These are not slaves that have to do heavy labor. So of course there's a huge, very comfortable bed with lots of silken sheets and feathered down pillows. There's a private balcony, the view of the pyramid and most of the city, and an ivory bathtub. They will bring up some large barrels of water and eat it for you and take care of it when you're done. Much like Tyr, the city has a water purification system. So you're mostly just paying for the portage of the water. Slave labor. Yeah, well, they don't need pumps. They have slaves. There's oil lamps. There is a...each fireplace has a sphere. Looks like a... kind of obsidian. Basil, like a pumice stone. And depending on its rotation, you can dial in heat, and it just emits heat. At maximum, it has this dull red glow, and you're not supposed to touch it. It's a poker. Or you just have to sleep to it. Is it magic? Yes. It is cheaper to make a magic fireplace than to burn an actual wood. and they're not going to stand wood on that. And oil, that would be a lot of oil. There is a wind tower, a traditional Persian architecture where the tower extends higher to catch the higher winds and it creates this effect that pulls up the air. It's natural air conditioning. And of course, a few needs leaves to . They of course have a kitchen staff under a master chef. There are formal dinners scheduled daily, but room service is available 24-7. The normal cost for the service is 5,000 ceramic pieces per night. Dakhan is covering. That's so generous. We got like three quarters of work for it. Who's paying you 6,000 for that whole trip? To be fair, yeah, that's about, you know, a mid-size upscale car in the turn. This is like the crazy Duvall- I feel like I have to take a bath to make it yourself. And of course, after a long hard journey, surely you could use a break. So tomorrow will be a spa day. On the first day, servants will bathe in grooming, manicurists will massage each hand extensively, and then clean Your nails and cuticles. The same with the feet, which get even more attention given your strenuous journey. Pip will just like literally turn into like play, like do the anime chibi. A full body massage will follow with hot rocks to soothe your tired muscles. Scented oil will be applied to the whole body. Your hair will be cleaned and trimmed and oiled as you prefer. I imagine her responding like silicone. Like her body is like it's like silicone. They get the biggest strongest man to do this massage because you're like barely feeling it. He's like, I'm starting to fall. After that you have a nice big lunch and a long nap. And then Clothiers will visit your room offering the finest sips. Did we eat here on a rest day? Oh, no. No, I think I was on a hot day. No, no. Well, okay, I have it all here. So last day... Stop her, I need to go track my cycle first. Put it into a cycle tracker and it's like, I'm sorry, your cycle is four days long? Yes, just do it. Chromatic butterfly. Oh, that's right. You were gonna make a chromatic butterfly. Yes, for my hair. So you found the obelisk on day eight, which was day three. That was the magic item we didn't put on my shirt with all the butterflies. So you arrived here on day two, but that was night. So technically the spa day is day three. But that means you just sleep the next day if you want to. Just eat and watch. Does Viz need that cloak? Ah, we can worry about that. I mean, it's useful. But it's kind of useful for all of you. So I was saying if you can't use it, then she should take it. I kind of have some things like that already. You mean like features, spells, and other things that help your defense? Yeah, like a shadow... Oh, okay. Yeah, I haven't got that. Of course, after lunch, maybe a siesta. Clothiers will visit your room, offering the finest soaps and crafting Kalidnay's high fashion for each of you. Jewelry is available, but I imagine you'll rather just make your own with your... Yes. ...taple box full of gems. And of course that night there's a theater performance attended by the finest novels of the city. Kalid-ma's opera is a lavish and complex affair, worth the admission price for the costumes and choreography alone. But the music is utterly unique to the city. This particular performance will be the romance of the old kingdom, the tale of the heroic efforts to save the old city from its fate, focusing on the passionate love between Kalid-ma and her high Templar, Dakhan. It's a highly sanitized history befitting the modern narrative favored by the Queen. But it will certainly be entertaining. And on the second day, or perhaps third day... Is it on the noble side? Yeah. Okay, so I want to make sure how fun is the show actually going to be? I mean, it's fancy people fun, so, you know, half the fun is just knowing that you're there, and you're rubbing shoulders and talking... It's okay for the Templars to shoot with the Queen. That's currently not a thing that happens. The Queen is famously single. Khalid Ma was not. Her High Templar was about six... I mean, who knows? Why is she single? And the official... Well, I don't know if she's made it official. The rumor is that Ka-Tet's mother She had two mothers since that somehow impregnated her mother. And well, she was six foot six and like a muscle giant. She's just that masculine, I guess. Or magic. Or there was just some... somewhere. She does look much more like her mother than this titan of a woman. And but she's not sure. But that's the preferred narrative because that keeps everything in the religion. Do we see her at the show? So, well, you gotta get there first. First you gotta have your squad in. Oh, I thought we had already fast-forwarded through that. Well, there's your experience. I mean, in real life? The hand massage. I mean, yes, I can imagine getting an amazing massage. It's going to be interesting. They have iron files for your nails, but they don't work on your claws. The file is like rusting. You're cutting the grooves off of the file, your claws. And so... You're like, no, that's okay, watch this. You get like that outer pommel as they sort of molt like a cat's claw. You can lacquer them with like metal lacquer. Your hair probably didn't grow all that much, especially you, because you can just make it fucking work. But it's nice to have it cleaned and painstakingly. Now, they offer, it's your choice, but the Calabnese way is no hair from here down. They just depilate everything. They consider it unclean to have body hair. It's a process, and you can always shave. That's the easier way. The waxing is, of course, the more lasting, but I think it's a bit intense. Again, you can just... So there's a standard of hair removal we need to be considering right now before our outing at the... Again, it's probably not gonna come up when you're out and about. I'm not really an animal. And I haven't done anything whatsoever. No, she would wear herself completely waxed if that is the norm for potential sexual contact in this... Yeah, people might be kind of weirded out. I have thought precisely for zero seconds about Tyrene body hair. I don't know if they're like elves. I can't imagine if she actually has any. She's smooth. Your head hair is like wires. I mean, it's a keratin because that's what your scales are made of. No, the hair is soft. More like feathers. I was picturing it could almost be like Fiber Optic and Colitis. And that would look really cool, but it wouldn't feel like hair. I was like, I definitely see glass hair trends and think that's kind of like her hair is glass hair. The lunch is, of course, delicious. You saw that farmland. They've got fruits, they've got grains, they've got animals. They've got just so much oil on it when they get to that stage. It just absorbs all the oil. It's just like more. Exactly. We need to get more. Well, they, Caledny's hairstyles, all the women have the perfectly straight Pantene Pro-B hair and they, they, they just comb out every stray hair and distribute this, this oil. They're supposed to like splay it out and let it dry for like an hour and then the oil is again. She's gonna make extensions and everything. She's gonna have to straighten it and she's gonna get extensions. Exactly. They really love the horns. They wanna, they wanna decorate them. with jewelry. You probably already have done that. I'll see what their custom jewelry feature ball looks like. They have a lot of gold here, relatively. It's really only used for ornamentation. It doesn't have a lot of practical purpose. It's not commonly used as currency. So you can get things set in gold. They like gold more than silver, because, you know, Pyramids, Sun... Well, the hair is going to one side with the butterflies kind of entangling, pulling it down, so it's the arrangement of the rainbow down her temple, from her temple to her hairline. They will make you a dress in the Caladne style, or they can attempt hair in fashion, they just don't know all that much about it. And, uh... You know, it's all about like, blowing, you know, silken panels and they are, you know, they're very Egyptian coded. Although they have slightly more complicated tailoring than ancient Egypt. Yeah, I feel like they're like, if Egypt met China. No, she's very fine, but she's going much more sexualized than she normally dresses in deer. because I think she's kind of proud. Well, because this isn't business, you know, you're not adventuring. Also, oddly, it's after the contact with the prisoner of the Eidolon. Yeah, the Eidolon and everything and that whole... She just reminded her of some things that had not been ignited. It's a sense memory. and the... I think it's spring-ish? They don't call it spring, but... So yeah, nightfall is probably around 8, 8.30. So somewhere around there people start congregating at the Opera House and there's a lot of chat and rubbing shoulders and people trying to maneuver society and As guests of Dakhan and Qafar, ultimately, you're interesting. They want to show you around. And obviously, Dakhan is a natural conversationalist. You're probably not so bad yourselves. Given the Oasis narrative of everything, do they have a lot of floral arrangements around? There is so much greenery. Everyone is constantly competing to make their noble estate the most beautiful. and you know you don't see all that much outside the noble estates but you've pretty much only been there so far. I'm gonna wear green then and lots of silk but like plenty for us to cool and to contrast with my skin so the purple black and then I'm gonna cause little like a set of jewelry like flower formations to grow like I'm picturing some of your jewels that you made resemble the jewel bugs. Yeah, exactly. She makes it to make sense of it. And you've got those flowers from the tree that no one has seen for 2,000 years. Like, wait, what is that? Yeah, it's highly ornamented, but it's not like Victorian with the clothes. The clothes are relatively Yeah, exactly. The kind of, especially for the women, they like to emphasize what they have. Less is more. The more, you know, where you don't have clothes, that's where you can put jewelry and cool shit. And plus, it's just so damn hot. Although it does get a little chilly. Might need to bring a coat. She wears white. That's what I'm wearing too. That was my first thought. You just said green. I thought you meant your coat. Vis is wearing something black. I don't know what Egyptian men's high fashion looks like. Somewhere between Aladdin and the shawl. Yeah. You have one of those collars and it's filled with diamond, like the spark, so it's like a halo sort of effect. Ancient Neutral aesthetics with knowledge of their collection. Yeah. Yeah. All the lights playing on each other. This, this, yeah, something like this. Yeah, that's not a lot of jewelry. He does have his slave tattoos and that's kind of a bold statement. Yeah. Especially the little teardrop one. That is universal! You see that here? And yet apparently he's a Tyran! He's free! Yeah, he doesn't get along very well with the nobles. He just is there to look tough and intimidate them. As security. The bodyguard is also here, of course. The companion. She looks... she doesn't get all gussied up. I mean, she already kind of is, but in a very specific way. She looks like a priestess. And there are other companions on various arms at this Galen event. But it's a status symbol. It's even fancier than going with your noble wife or whatever. After the sort of meet-and-greet period, and kind of shuffles in. And they do head-up. Almost certainly. Various other fantasy dyes you can do. I think there's like a, you know, it's somewhere between the head-up and the traditional makeup. But, you know, your eyes are expected to be very much done up. You gotta have the wedge up. and all those different markings. I mean, not that you're part of the religion, but when in Rome. This isn't quite the right sound for an Egyptian author. Ancient Egyptian cat worship. It's like, there's a person who'd want to be seen. It's like, there's no way the Pyrene and a badass... I don't even know what to call the Do you have a race name? She's named... I'm a Pip. You're a Pip. They don't have what she is. I think technically it'd be a Voidling. Some might say you're a Fae and a Ladrin, but you're a pretty weird a Ladrin. You're a Void a Ladrin. Oh, it's like someone calling me a demon. Yeah. Egyptian opera is a little bit like like no fear, like not melodic in the Western sense. There's a lot of droning sound and long, long wailing cries and drum works. It's very extra. They do the like multiple arm thing, you know, to show that Khalid Ma is a powerful mother worthy. The actor playing Thakakam is male. because how the fuck else are you gonna get someone that day? But he's doing his best. They don't speak. All of the language is in the song. And the song is sung by people you can't see. But they have distinct voices. So like one actor will strike a pose while someone's singing, and they're saying this. It has about, it's about four hours long Nice intermission in there, because that's a lot. And you've had a few glasses of wine. Then I guess she's probably flirting with the chasm of her on the stage. It's just like, oh, the lead. We've got so many good muscles. I like those. Those are good muscles. The way the stage works is interesting. It's kind of like Taylor Swift's stage. It's like a plus stage. and people sit in various places and the actors move around. So sometimes you have a great view, sometimes not so good. She was loud for not a second and you realize that she went and she went and she was still going, I'm so sorry. I guess we really am excited and I really want to come meet you. You do have a decent seating, but it's hard to compete because everybody wants to sit near the queen. And she of course has Whatever the best scene in the house is, and I've heard it shocking to get as close to her as possible. You don't have a particularly good view, she's on like the other side of the stage. But uh... I just want to be able to cross her eyeline as we exit. I don't need to meet her, I just want her to be able to see me. Dakhan attempts to maneuver... If he maneuvers in that direction... ...to encounter... He fails during the intermission, but... I really do want to meet the Queen. I really want to meet her. I'm so curious about her. This complex song and dance of body language where people try to- When she sees Dakhan, she would see Dakhan go and fail. You saw him, like, it was just, you know, couldn't quite, it was about detaching from who you were currently talking to in a graceful way, and by the time you did, she was gone, and, but, afterward. My code is the Lemans. Nice. Made of Nemur fairy. They realize it, they're like, is it a lie? They probably have some fur. He could just make a fur coat that it has, like it sits in the pouch. She's trying to be strategic about a run-in on the exit, like knowing how the exit is going to be administered by the attendants and everything. And the Queen seems to want to stay and yak a bit. And Kha'far calls out to Her Majesty and she's like, uh-huh, no wait, is that a Gideon? Is that a fucking Tyree? What is that? I don't even know what that is. She politely nods to whoever she was talking to and approaches There's this like sign that they do and it's polite and curt but she's interested in his guest more than him. She is of course dressed up for the occasion but like she's not overdoing it like considering how loud your looks are. You would expect her to be kind of like way over the top. The only thing is she does have the headpiece that is one of her formal crowns and even slick gold jewelry and stuff, but not really all that overbearing, especially because she's about 5'1", although she wears like, not pumps, one of the ones that are thick. Wedge. Yeah, that's solid. The Moodling Solid Gold, which makes a horrible chance to use. My finger laid with your arm. It's then turned to come up. Your name seems to me. I hope what you've heard is good, Your Majesty. They don't do touching the royal person. He was about to do the, try to do the finger kiss of his. No, that's more of a Tyrion thing. He attempts the The gesture. It's like a- you gotta go like this, make like a square, and then you like dip it. You haven't really practiced it a lot. And she's okay like almost instantly. And you're just like, I should have singing it. But I must say, I am very good guests. These are my bodyguards. I'm a dangerous stroke. And they were most excellent in that capacity. But don't be fooled. They are not mere mercy. There are wonderful stories to tell through their excavates. I have seen them in the U.S. of your field class. Send them around. They're exceptional. It's been loved. The priestess whispers some stuff in her ear. She's getting ready for bed. It's after midnight. She's gonna decline any long conversations. You get back to the hotel at 1 in the morning and a cool evening you might want to turn up the heat rocks. This calls like a party meeting. Totally neglected. You have a fourth party member. You mentioned it all. Only she got the spa treatment because of all the drinks. and D-Day, but he got to see the actors. He probably would have swapped. He would much prefer to do all the schmoozing and networking. We haven't really talked about it. I assume we're just going to head back. Opportunity notes? I mean, we'll see what it could be, right? Do you say no to the thing that they're inviting you But we don't actually have legal status here. This wouldn't be a guild. This would be off the most. And the personality of our ingredients, we're not here. We're not. We here doesn't care what we do, but we're not there anymore. The guild, I don't... It's frowned upon. But not unheard of. But if we take it back in good faith and give a tie to the and I would not object to diving to the Arguelle upon the successful completion of her mission. Plus we may end up pretty good on this trip assuming we don't have to spend all my money back. Because, boy, Crodlu's and no wagon. That would be the dream. We could get back so much faster. At least she got the Megalox. Yeah. Okay, they're a little slower. Maybe you can sell them and buy some in here? I mean, they're a little faster than the big ones. Well, and, you know, they don't make up for speed, they make up for a con in peacefulness. Well, it is nice to have a wagon. I don't know how we would carry everything we need. I'm gonna give some of my fruit to the fair. That's what I was thinking, too. That's a unique gift. I think she would like that. And it's really delectable, so it might be one of those really fun things to see. You do have stories to tell. Is there anything else you need to buy on your shopping day? Or your sleeping day, as the case turns out to be. I know, I'm gonna shop on my sleeping day. It's one of the morning, night three, you're like, yeah. I'm gonna see if I can get some of the fruit seeds to sprout. You go out because there's all these planters on the balcony. Yay! That'd be an amazing gift. The seed spores. We can do purchasing downtime stuff if we want to, but I figure it's more interesting. Yeah. To skip to, let's see. We'll figure out what we need. So, Rival Day is Day 12. I was actually gonna explore getting something like claw tips for her claws, just like the knuckles for a fist augment her claws. Spot Day Aperm 14 is Sleet Witch. Viz is going to try to navigate the market because you know you might want to keep some fruit but it's gonna go bad pretty soon. Might as well sell it now. Exactly. I wasn't thinking of selling those but giving some to her and selling the rest. You can keep selling them. But you know what? I actually don't think it's wise to sell much because it's more special if she's and then she can disperse it. Because it's like- You can give all of it to her if you really want to do it. Well, I need to keep some for my lemur. Well, what you can preserve too. What we're going to keep at this point is like stuff that's dry. That's what I'm trying to grow more too. Priestess gives you some pointers in court etiquette. and she's guessing this will be mostly a private conversation but there's still a formal receiving and that would be a great time if you've got any gifts. She thinks that's a wonderful idea and she seems almost worried. Like she doesn't care that much about you but like she's not acting as if this kind of attention is exciting and fun, but rather dangerous. And then again, danger is your business. The pyramid is of course where the court is held. The ground level of the pyramid is where the water comes in. And there's actually a terminal where all the different canals meet because the only connecting point for them is right near the pyramid. But you ascend above all that to the first floor, which is actually substantially elevated, where her formal court is basically right in the center of the pyramid in a pyramid-shaped chamber. And... So, trying it discreetly, because she really doesn't want too many to hear this, so it's gonna be like a subtlety measure. I'm probably gonna have to roll for that. She wants to see... The story of why she's still single. What is the... She's so much into the gossip of what is the story behind why this amazing looking woman is single? Because I'm like, I want to tap in. I don't even normally want to, but she's exceptionally beautiful. Technically, she's with it. Because she was married for a time to Kallak. That was his price. He came to Tyr and wanted help getting some sort of artifact. And he had one demand in exchange for his help. She also wanted to learn magic because she wasn't being so good at it. This was actually a very long time ago. This was like 270 years ago. She basically, she was there for years and she pretty much had her control. But one day she just sort of walked out into the desert and found the voice that she was looking for. She had it, she just gathered her people and left. And they were separated cordial until he died. So... Okay. But That is also... I don't even know if the priestess would tell you this stuff, but Dakhan knows the CD. Yeah, I'm probably getting it from Dakhan, because I feel like she's developed a little bit of a rapport, wouldn't it, enough to have conversations of his nature? His guess is she just hasn't found the right one. It would have to be somebody worthy, somebody that would be to her advantage. There aren't many men in the world who can be chosen to be You approach and there's this whole song and dance routine. It is a court. She's seen people in order of importance. She has this clerk. It's very bureaucratic. Most of this is formal business. And, you know, they're The priests present a trial result that they had and she just sort of blessed it. They send somebody out to the gala. Some merchants have a dispute. She hears it and offers her wisdom. And you and Dakhan are kind of a unit. The Queen would hear of your troubles. and what brings you to your glorious city. I assume you worked out in advance how honest you wanted to be about this. I mean, what have we got to lie about? I don't know how many. We came here to, you know, business. Business. But stayed because you wanted to see the city. I fluff it up. Viz is actually accosted by a guard who accused him of being a slave and there's some conversation on that point. And you begged and pleaded with him not to bring any concealed weapons. I'm pretty sure you saw his hand going for something. But I think between you two and Dakhan, you could probably save him from himself. Probably. Damn it, Dakhan. He wasn't there. He's off in the Cooper. That's okay. Well, she got a 17th. She's having such bad blood on her, actually, with her charisma. She's like a 23. She's like a 23. And there's this... It sounds so clean. There's this sound that you couldn't miss. Whenever she speaks, there's this... this reverb, this harmonic. Her voice is like naturally amplified, but not louder, but it like rattles your bones. and there is magic in that voice. But not just magic. You don't remember a lot, but you sure as hell remember the sound of your own voice. And a Pyrene can speak, and more than speak, if they wish, to give their words the weight of truth, the weight of finality. In extreme cases, they can Command loyalty. The myth says that the most powerful pirate can simply speak things and those things become true. Words can't be false. She doesn't have any horns, nor does she appear to be magically disguised. But you know what the voice sounds like. And I bring it up because that's what you just did. It didn't really... you weren't able to tap into the magic of it. But you like did it. It was a muscle memory. He is no slave. Like a toddler with his hand in the cookie jar. Apologies, madam. He's still giving the shit out of his. But you eventually reach the dais in your story. You overate quite well. Dakhan won't speak for you. I mean, she's the one who takes over at the point of the store where the tree comes up. That's the most interesting adventure. She's very interesting. And then it ties in with the gifts. And you present a sample of the gifts, and a guard inspects it, and a priestess casts a spell to make sure everything's on the up and up, and they take it over to her. Seedlings. Yeah, you can renew them. Pip presents the seedlings. Show what those are. Your flowers. It must be true. Perhaps I should send out an expedition to find a great place. A miracle of nature. Oh, amazing. The Ovalist fell, so he can't really say he owns that part. I would be so appreciative of something. Yeah. Maybe some priests can do like a monthly recharge of the magic or whatever. You get to the part about the Ovalist. and he takes on so much regret at that point in the story. I should have seen that the office was shut down to make it for the exit. She asks details about this, I don't know. And your... I wasn't sure we should tell her about that, but... Well, that's the question. Are you going to leave out the items? Because she's going to be a little vulnerable about it. There's a rule in the court. There's not supposed to be any chatter from the audience, but everyone is trying desperately to communicate by eye-wings as you guys spin this fantastic tale. But as you speak of Kala, she makes one of the best ideas. This one. This one. Fragments. Retire. This life. Intuitive. He speak truth. None have seen what he has seen. None living. He is a different man. Better. He sought divinity, and so many others do. Pay the price. But, still, I can't say. A pity. If only and the inhabitants of the safe Reuda. But the destruction of the other men of the world is the best. This confirms the fears of the departed sorcerer. We have not heard the last of his magic. I do not believe we have seen the last of his magic. that there is not yet a mission to destroy the Rast of Semi. Until said mission, I have to leave it to my curiosity to the thing where it's moving. The Goddess Guidesma, thank you for the blessed, I'm sure you find the opportunities in you. Thank you for your gift. to her students. We will now speak with grumbly bunk-piss there, whoever the fuck is next. Basically, we have to wait out the entire court day, but it's worth it, because after that, there's an old feast, and she went In a much, much smaller chamber with thick sandstone walls and some magical comfort moment to ward away any wayward magics, she meets with you, not Dakhan, just Phoenix Dawn, and she only has one bodyguard. It is Templars. Looks like a bit of a badass. She's seated when you arrive, you do the thing. She's the one. Yeah. She doesn't always say it, but when she's making, like, legal pronouncements. This... It's an obsidian marble mounted through her crown to where her third eye would be. My mother made upon her eyes. The orbs into which a portion of her soul. They are essentially The eye gives me sight anywhere. And it helped me find the path to the others, the voice, the heart, which makes this city blossom. And the hand, which gives me the power to move the earth and to command the sky. But I'm missing something. She has another Black Obsidian card. Did she keep wearing each artifact when she was... She didn't give you any indication of where they were, but you do see a ring She has another one and it glows red. And the table was interesting. It's like a sand pit. Like the internal rectangle is on the sand. But as she animates it, it forms into a shape. It looks like a city, but every building in it looks like a mausoleum. The City of the Dead. and Far from the Aeblis. It contains all of the honored dead in the family that will bring back to the family. It is utterly forbidden for anyone who takes the set foot, save the dead and the priests, only during the burial of the tree. I myself am a champion of any agent in the set and as forewriters are bound by such. Of course, the defenses of the city are not the Soviet tradition. Templars who have undergone a ritual transition guarded in true visions and constructs Many of them created down in the building, are alert for all three problems. There's only one sentence, the particular tomb that I've visited is the tomb of Kali, the Holy Mother. She will not find her body covered within as she has ascended. But many objects sacred to her and her console. And the ore. The ore is necessary. I have seen the golden power. It will not just leave the galaxy. It would lead to renewal. The table is a solid place. What I've done here is merely a present. Every city could have this. The roads could be safe. It's a beautiful place. My Holy Mother's sex shows the way of the defamant is errant, a dead end. No time is past. Calixfot proves that. I don't know how long the other time is, but I will see that there it is. and rightly sadly. This is an extraordinarily dangerous question, but your exploits prove that you may be capable of it. There are conditions, and there will of course be The conditions are such. You must return the orb to me and must not attempt to use it. The orb invites, may, commands that you attempt to gain its power. I don't have such... You must not steal or damage any other artifacts. This is not a grave robbing. Well, Oh, but it's not robbing because it's, you know, not a deal breaker, but try not to kill too many of the sacred undead heroes. They're just doing it. That's my speciality. Excellent. It's about a three-day journey. and a noble son died recently. A procession is currently in the city. Likely, you'll encounter them on the way back. There is no valid business you could be out. They will know you seek the city and they have Templars. So I would advise, stop. The land itself is safe. and your reward? So each of you may ask of me something that is within my mind that does not violate the tenets of my faith and it will be yours. and have us killed and say no. I'll just make you forget everything. Oh, fair. One of the most useless of the old ones. I have always had a certain legitimacy. The voice helps me call to all the sons and daughters of Alamond, the great diaspora. When did you get that? It was a parting gift from my dear deceased husband. You can tell there's more to it. He was an excellent teacher. Let's see. I think we have a deal. I think it's Nua here. I think it's after Dr. Dirk. He's very nervous in the presence of Royalee. He's very busy outside. is skeptical, but it is the ultimate roadcast. The fact is seen. I've heard of that. Those words are true and final. I can offer no succor to anyone who violates the city's laws. to make do with the resources that you have. I'm sure that. She twists the orb again, and all the magical thingamabobs change, the woo-woo, the mild buzz in their head is gone, the divination magic ended. There's lots of people around, but you know, could be eyes and ears, so... ...make your way... ...to the palace. It's a technically public area, semi-public area, so you don't need like any sport. Assume you go somewhere private and safe. Just a moment. We're gonna need some resources. Good thing we have a navigator. I'm not sure. Let's just try to keep it set. Not have any necessary complications. We can just reflect that. or you get killed and turned into a monkey. What did I do recently? I hit it with the... You hung it on a hook. Oh, I brought it on a hook. He probably asked for a stable and he told them to stand there. He's making all the other animals nervous. No, he's like a farm hand. He's mucking out with our stalls. I think it's even a big deal. Perfect. It's a perfect job for him. So you'll probably want to figure out at least how to provision yourself for the journey there and back if you need any... I need some healing magics. I don't know, do they have like a magic trap? This is alchemists. I'm gonna make me as an alchemist, but I don't... He might be an insurer. and find just about everything you'd want to buy in the marketplace. Next. Yeah, I mean, you get $6,000. With her fucking voice, she couldn't even say that to my fucking voice. I'm just gonna cry with a smile on my face as I leave this fucking chamber. And we go on this adventure. She's like, you have a voice. and I'll concentrate her voice back for her mom's thoughts. She can make her own thing. Well, that's the thing for me. I will do that. It's Void or... They are. Fair enough. Maybe I'll get one of the... No, we can't... I don't know if we can let you handle it if you're going to be tempted to use it. You're probably the most tempted to use it. Because it is Void. to contain vast medical knowledge and knowledge of the cosmos itself. Infinite and endless secrets of things. So, that's cool. You guys don't necessarily know this stuff, but she didn't just tell you about the orbs. She knows that your adventures and she just says it's a mysterious artifact. Don't look into it. You're just gonna be that more curious. So, and we told her the truth. I mean your exploits are pretty amazing. You took out a pair of ecolons of an epic level sorcerer. I mean she doesn't know what level is but she guessed that you guys are pretty high up there. And you say we were level set? Yes. You actually leveled up on the road but we never did it. This is a little weekend you palped. Yes, but you lost one, so it's kind of a... But the powers get bigger. Gained one, but lost one. Fantastic. Yeah, see, this is that third dimension we were trying to figure out, is the level aspect with the feet and the powers, because now we have a way to go this way and a way to go this way with the graph, you know? and it allows you to actually triangulate character power levels. And this system, like, I can actually see something like a staff for one to be useful to actually get more cool shit you can do since powers are so precious. That was always the thing, like, why would I want to staff a fire? I have 47 fucking spells. No, no, I always appreciate the Mutants and Mastermind thing. Yeah, exactly. You can dedicate to a fucking power. Yeah, and that's what- You can figure out what you're gonna do. There was something missing really about the way Mutants and Masterminds was doing. Yeah, but at its basic, at its core, that was like, I was to resolve something that always bothered me. Yeah. But, see, now I can- Because I'm visualizing in terms of- Right? So, you know, okay, you gotta give me the axes then. So, feats, it's more like an SDSS sheet or an Excel sheet. So feats are kind of here at the top and they're modifying powers and level is the wire. Everything has a scale automatically. Yeah, so we're trying to figure out what the curve is. of the line looks like for power. If I could balance it? For all the characters to be on the same map character powers and all the powers. So we have kind of a formula so that people can then sort of have an idea. And then we can kind of actually figure out what it is to tell people how to build power. Because I'm trying to figure out what are the building blocks of power's piece and how to modify that. Well that's the thing like I appreciated being