FInn hums to himself as he walks Boots through the high, thin grasses of the plain.  It had been simple really, why hadn't he thought of it before?  Finn was much better off by himself.  Though Terri wasn't much of a help in a fight, she could have logic that cut straight to the heart of an argument and turned the whole thing on its head.

First of all, she was absolutely right that bringing the whole group of six... one of them being an armed minotaur, was likely to increase the tension of any meeting they had with the Wazifis.  While Finn had gotten along well enough with Azraa, not to mention Khaldun, the situation had been tenuous and Rondald had even shot at Munt before they had managed to get things to calm down.  Keeping things low key this time around would be imperative to getting what Finn was after, which was access to whatever spellbooks of the Necromancer's were left.  After all, Finn had brought back all (or at least most) of the men just like he had promised, for they sure as shit weren't in Perdition by the time Finn had left.

Besides, everyone had seemed to get progressively more crabby as the journey went on.  Finn had continued on being his normal, jovial self, filling up the silence with verbal re-creations of all the fights they had won and by pondering aloud on all the treasure they had left behind, but as the time went on, he got fewer and fewer responses.  At one point, when Finn was laughing about the fact that they had actually thought about running away from the cell that was empty except for the giant, magical treasure - Terri had responded, quite sternly, "Didn't we go there to try and keep all the cells closed?"

She was far from the only one though, tempers had been riding high for a while.  Finn was guilty too.  After the horse feed had run out for Magnus, he and Gustav were the only ones with any left and Finn was none too happy about sharing the little grain he had remaining.  He had parted with it though, to get them out of the mountains which at least kept them from having to graze the animals, saving them from wasting several hours of travel each day.

All in all, the split was a good thing.  It let Finn makes his own decisions on his own, without having to run them by the group first, something that had become tiresome over the last few weeks.

Finn looks out over the high hillside.  He was definitely getting close to al-Hassan.  The tower looming closer was enough proof of that, a landmark which stood out for dozens of miles in each direction, but even without that, the trees here were in orderly rows, some sort of nut tree Finn thought to himself, which likely meant the town was just ahead.  The farmers in these parts never seemed to stray all that far from their villages.

But then, Finn sees something that makes his heart bolt up into his throat... coming out from back in the trees, an enormous man with biceps like five gallon barrels...  The same giant that had chased Finn all over the roof of Perdition.

But the man does not seem to wish to fight today and instead he walks to the edge of the orchard staring at Finn with steely, appraising eyes.  Finn breaks a broad smile as he waves, thinking, I beat you in his own head.

In a matter of another half an hour, Finn is sitting in the large building again, which is not entirely unlike the large shrine in Perdition.  Both Azraa and Khaldun sit across from him, with a handful of others who ask Finn to go into the details of just exactly what has happened.

Finn of course is happy to oblige with the request, casting the epic story of the search of the ruins, from finding Khaldun at the first, to finding the rest of the Wazifis in the sanctuary and the staged battle that Finn had tried so hard to avoid, to defeating the Golem, to the part where Mika'il had lured them down into the other parts of the underground...  Of course, Finn took some subtle liberties.  He shifted Mika'il's actions so that he had jumped out and ambushed them with Sadda while they were fighting the Bone Sovereign, his death being an unfortunate side product of the harrowing situation.  He also left out anything about the keys... or opening the last cell, something which he wanted to keep as close to his chest as he was able.

"Anyway."  Finn finishes in fluent Arabic.  "I lost my spellbook when the others attacked us in the beginning.  They threw in torches and burned the whole place down, my men had to bash a hole in the back wall to make it out safely...  They didn't think to grab my backpack.  I figure..."  Finn holds out Azraa's necklace back to her.  "I helped out you guys, so probably you should think about lending me a hand.  Any chance Haj-Umr had a spellbook or two just laying around?  I could use it.  You know, now that I don't have mine anymore."

Khaldun's face is particularly skeptical, though Azraa is the first one to speak in response.

"Most everything of value had been taken from the tower when Haj-Umr was killed."  Her eyes narrow at Finn as she points a finger.  "Your people were the ones who had taken it.  That was why your charge was to save our men.  You owed us back for what you stole."

The door behind Finn opens and closes, a glance backwards reveals Munt, the patchwork man with a load of animal skins over his shoulder.

Her face softens somewhat.  "Though you killed the foul Sadda, and for that we owe you...  It sounds as if he bedeviled poor Mika'il as badly as he had our master."

"Worse."  Khaldun grunted.  "He seemed to change when that foul thing showed up, he got more frenzied about our task... I didn't put two and two together, but by the time we had separated into two groups, he seemed to be a completely different person.  It's a shame he was so taken in.  He had always seemed such a shy, frail thing.  But he was sure ambitious."

"Perhaps we can be of some help..."  Azraa starts, two of her fingers reaching up to rub pensively on her chin.  "If it is great magic you seek, surely it will be somewhere in the Fence of God."

This comment seems to make the room stir, several of the others sitting there immediately balk at the suggestion, and the loudest of them blurts, "Fool's errand!"  before Azraa is even finished.

"He'd be a dead man."  Khaldun shakes his head.  "The sheiks would not let him get that close to the holy city... No Megalan is allowed there.  And exploring that mountain range alone is utter folly anyway.  There are no secret troves of magic to be found... or else the imams would have found it."

"There's the library of Malak Almawt."  The rich baritone comes from behind Finn, and he turns to see Munt standing a few feet behind him.

"It is hidden...  Master had collected many books on it long ago.  That was before Sadda came.  Before he lost interest."

OOC:  it is 1500 on the 22nd of May.  It has been about 4 days since you left Perdition and your food and grain has been docked accordingly.  Note that you haven't been able to sell any of your gear from the last dungeon yet, though you may attempt to do so here if you wish.  It is a fairly small village though, so don't expect that you will sell everything (or even that they will want everything).  Certainly they will take it though if you are just looking to lose weight.
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:51, Sat 21 Mar 2020.

One by one Finn wrapped up his take and gently placed them into his saddle bags.  The heaviest and most durable items went in first, on the bottom, with the lightweight and tender glass items wrapped in cloth and placed tenderly at the top.  Each item was looked upon with care as he packed it away.  Razzel was quiet and solemn while he worked.  In his mind he was grateful to be going home with a profit but through it all he could not forget about what was lost.  The recipe book for mixing magical ointments, potions and salves and the accompanying set of cookery. Their value was nearly priceless.  But the loss of the spell books was immeasurable.  His friends chided him for being so materialistic when he spoke of the loss but they did not understand.  The wizarding world is a competitive one.  Perhaps because there are so few.  Or the power they wield drives their egos to insane levels.  Or maybe because of the power that can be achieved nurtures jealousy.  Whatever the reason mages rarely share their secret knowledge and the spells contained in Haj Umr's books was a dream come true.  A once in a lifetime find.  The truth is that by the time the oddball band of mercenaries leaves Perdition Finn has come to terms with the loss.  His pain, his grief and frustration are gone.  Like hunger abated after a meal.  But he will remember.

As they travel and the idea is suggested it grows like a tree.  Small, then bigger and bigger until it over takes him.  Yes!  It is genius!  Finn will go his own way.  Its brilliant in its simplicity.  Sure, he was fond of his friends and will miss each of them in their own way.  But never in his young life has the democratic process of working as a team sapped his creative drive and optimism so.

And so Finn Razzel, con man, thief and mage extraordinaire heads off for Al Hassan where it all began.  Some might think him crazy but long odds pay off the best.  He rationalizes that it was he who chose to parlay with Khaldun rather than fight, which saved many lives.  And he did the same with the giant when they stormed the long thin room and set it ablaze.  And since they were responsible for setting the fire which burned up his books and he had gone to such painstaking lengths to avoid bloodshed they kind of owed him.  Not to mention that Finn wouldn't even be in this land if not for their boss who planned to launch some ancient evil at his people.  True Haj Umr and his apprentice were corrupted by the evil seducing spirit of Sadda, which Finn snuffed out as well.  So the way he saw it they really owed him.  And to top it off Finn spoke the language thereby sweet talk them towards his own desires.  So what could go wrong?

And just as he predicted (as it usually goes) some time after hitting the towns fringe the happy-go-lucky mercenary is sitting among the foreign townsfolk explaining, in a roundabout way, what happened at Perdition.  Life has taught him that some cannot handle the truth so of course Finn is careful to take some liberties.  For instance Mika'il was likely a dead man.  Whether Magnus accidentally crushed him like a tomato, or the townsfolk strung him up by the neck for his evil deeds or he expire on his own from pushing his body too far, what would be gained by telling these people the exact events?  Finn himself would be strung up and deprive them his further assistance.

Razzel followed the back and forth.  He and his band robbed the tower so they owed the town.  Got it.  But then they rescued the men so they were even.  Annnd theeeeennnn, Finn and company killed Sadda making him one up.  So they did owe him and best of all they saw it that way too.  Splendid.

The Library of Malak Almawt.  For a moment Finn's eyes glaze over.  Just the mere mention of it sounds like a the rapid fire clink of coins falling into his hands.  He smiles devilishly, leans forward and smoothly utters, ”Tell me more...”


OOC:
You played this wonderfully boss.  Finn absolutely would have thought upon seeing the giant that he beat the giant.  And I love how you used what I mentioned long ago, that Finn would turn it around so that they owed him a replacement book.

Finn realizes that his very life in this foreign land depends on them liking him.  To that end I would be interested in selling some of the unwanted stuff cheap – at a discount.  And gifting some of the unwanted stuff.  Giving gifts to help them since they lost so much.  S they'll like me better.  To that end did I end up with the 2nd Cheap broadsword?  If so I'll just give it to them.

The small gathering of elders seems to go silent as the patchwork man talks and Finn's voice is the only one that challenges Munt.

For his part, Munt's head turns to each of the elders in order, looking for even the slightest trace of recognition.  "The Library of Malak Almawt..."  He repeats, as if the extra annunciation will assist the others in jogging their memory.  Though when none seem to recognize what he is talking about, Munt lowers his head, shaking it slightly.

Finn is at once struck by the otherworldliness of this patchwork man.  His seeming confusion is distorted by the thick stitching that arcs through the tanned leather texture of his face in several places.  He is a monster with the voice of an angel.  An abomination that in many ways seemed more cultured than his former master.

Munt sighs, finally seeming to resign to the fact that not a single other person in the room knows the legend he is talking about.

"As the story goes, Malak was an imam long ago, before the practice of magic was embraced by the Caliphate.  Ancient accounts describe how he traveled from tribe to tribe, invoking the wrath of Allah and demanding all the magical texts any locals had acquired, interrogating all of the mages or hedgewitches of all their magical knowledge.  Of course, Malak was a wizard as well, and before long he had amassed a trove of magical knowledge unmatched in those early days.  It was some time before the duplicity of Malak was brought to the attention of the Caliph, how he had been using the words of Allah and the prophet for his own gain.  But the anger of the Caliph was great, and he could not abide a heretic and a witch.  The Caliph brought his armies against Malak openly so that all would know of his fate.  But the wizard realized that he would be overwhelmed if he attempted to face them outright.  So instead the wizard sank his keep into the earth, swallowing it whole from sight, never to be found again."

Munt sighs, looking from face to face, though he seems to have given up hope of someone else taking up the burden of the story.

"Master was looking for the library long ago, and I copied many texts on the matter for him.  He eventually gave up the idea.  Perhaps a year ago another man came along looking for the library...  Master gave him all of his research, that was when he was still looking for the elvish prison."

OOC:  Thanks!  I was rather happy with the transition both on your side and the other guys, obviously they saw the parting of ways a little differently.  I'm pretty happy with the mixed perspectives and the way they panned out.

As for the stuff, I'm still working through some of the admin of moving things back.  You did end up with the cheap sword as far as I know.  That being said, giving out a bunch of freebies is definitely out of character for a greedy bastard like you.  Make a SC roll for me.  If you make it by 5 or more, you can give some of your stuff away, if you make it by less than five, you can sell at a discount of 10% per point you succeed by from the book price.  If you fail, you sell at higher than book prices while trying to convince them they are getting a good deal.  Once you roll, I'll let you know what they are interested in buying here.

As Finn watches and listens to the patchwork man he is suddenly drawn in.  Mystified so that he looses track of time.  Has Munt been speaking for a minute, or ten?  Razzel isn't sure.  But he knows his mind has wandered.  Finn has a deep love for the paradoxical such as Munt.  A horror to look at but a beauty to listen to.  A devils face with an angels voice.  And if the mans soul were gentle as a lamb that irony would be too delicious to eat.

But thankfully Finn mind isn't distracted for long.  He was half worried that the story of the library would be a meandering, confusing connect-the-dots thing that after half an hour of colorful back story leads to nowhere.   But the plucky thief-mage is delighted at the sweetness of the short story.   A sunken library.   And a wandering stranger who was given the research notes.   Sounds easy enough.

Finn bows his head slightly and tucks his shoulders in almost imperceptibly in an effort to appear meek and humble.  He wills his face to cast the visage of childlike innocence.  ”Thank you Munt.  I'd be ever so grateful if ya could tell me what ya know 'a this man.  His name, where he came from, where he was headin' to.  Ya know, everything.”


OOC:
I would like to donate the following to Al Hassan to aid their recovery from the trials of Sadda:

Dagger
Chainmail coif 
Leather helm 
Heavy Leather Legs 
Leather Gloves 
an etched crystal bowl
$100 in cash

On second thought I wont sell anything.  Don't want to be flashing gems and potions around.  You know how greedy people are.

Attempt Fast Talk if needed to get the skinny on the guy who took the research on the Library a year ago,

Finn puts on his best face to ask about who ever it was that took Haj-Umr's notes on the library, expecting to find gold quickly... though Munt simply shakes his head.  "His name was Malakai I believe, though in truth I know little of him.  He came in one day and spoke to the master...  and before I knew it he was gone.  It was only later that I learned that he had taken the books.  Those which I had spent so much time transcribing."  The subject does not seem emotional to Munt, simply a statement of fact of the events as they had happened several years ago.

"I do not know what came of him... perhaps he went looking for the library?  It seemed to be his goal."

OOC:  Items modified on your sheet and all your money is edited.  You talked briefly about giving them the cheap broadsword, but I didn't see it in your list, so it is still in your character sheet.  Let me know if you want to do something else with it.  Fast talk Munt all you wish.  He seems open and unemotional about talking, though he knows little of the man who took all the books.

Malakai.  Malakai.  Malakai.  Finn says several times in his head to cement the name to memory.  He nods to Munt for the information.  Malakai.  Mika'il.  Haj Umr. Where in the world did you people come up with such weird names?  Its like your folks was drunk when you was born, Razzel thinks silently while holding his smile.

The mage-thief listens to the story go deeper and his smile flattens as the gold mine seems to have dried up.  A strange man came and left.  With the research.  And all he left behind was a name.  How to find him...?

Finn wrinkles his mouth, nose and eyes for a long moment in thought.  There was the traditional method of finding this man.  Ask a million people and follow a trail of social bread crumbs.  But that could take weeks or likely months or even years.  And who knows the cost if people want to be paid for their time and knowledge.

Just then a brilliant idea strikes like lightning.  Finn begins waggling his fingers.  ”Bear with me please.  I have an idea...”


OOC:  I did ask for the Cheap sword and Rondald could take the remainder of the Cheap items to balance.  But he never responded so I didn't move it to my list.  But since I ended up with it I will donate it to the fine people of Al Hassan.

To further boost my likability I will offer my services as a basic healer while in town.  I cant heal disease but I can heal wounds.

Mika'il, Malakai, Malak Almawt...  Finn was starting to believe that some drunk asshole was just making up names to make everything more confusing.  Why did everything have to be so damned similar?

Still, there was little to be done about the inconvenience now.  The test was to find Malakai... or whoever, so that Finn could steal the research and find the library all on his own.  And he knew just how to get things started.

Summoning the mana around him, he conjures a face... just a normal man, slightly tanned, somewhere halfway between the complexion of a Megalan (who were usually lighter skinned, especially in Azer where it rained almost half the days on the calandar) and a Wazifi (who were often darker skinned) with straight, brown hair.  A sort of blank canvas to spring off from.  In Finn's mind, the idea was genius...  Munt could just tweak things here and there to give him a perfect picture of the man he was after.

Of course, things are never that easy.

Munt seemed to have no problem at first, confidently making small changes that shifted the facial features, sculpting a unique identity out of the illusion.  Of course as he continued, more questions seemed to pop up in Finn's mind... the most predominant of which was really?  Towards the end, each change seemed to take the illusion farther and farther from the realm of the human.

"Munt... normally the nose goes more to the center of the face..."  Khaldun offers helpfully, though by now it seems Munt is just as confused as the rest of the people in the room.

Finn takes a look at the illusion, sweat already beginning to bead up on his forehead from the extended exertion, and realizes that by now the idea is probably a total loss.  The thing seems more horror villain than man, with his facial features shifted in inhuman ways, his expression of a gruesome mix of fear and horror with his eyes too large and too protruded to be real.

"Maybe not..."  Munt says with a sigh, obviously trying despite the monstrous creation.  "Maybe the mouth should be bigger?"

"Ah... no."  Khaldun laughs at the suggestion, adding the same thought that had come into Razzel's mind.  "Not unless his mouth is supposed to be bigger than the rest of the head."

Munt groans in exasperation, putting his own disfigured face into his massive hands.  "Perhaps you should just look for the library and then when you find it you can find Malakai?"  He offers, clearly at his wits end with the exercise.

OOC:  The final creation is something between a Picasso and Adam and Barbara's rendition of "scary face" in the movie Beetlejuice.  You find it highly unlikely that a person like that exists, and certainly no one else in the audience has piped in with "yeah, I remember that guy."

LOL on your paragraph line in your post.  I added my own touch here, and it was on my mind before I posted the name.  Unfortunately I've been struck with overlapping modules, which all seem to very similar name versions with the exception of Malak... that one I got through an Arabic name generator before I realized I was going to be stuck with Malakai from the module...  Probably should have fiddled a little further with things, but sometimes it's just easier to go with the flow rather than constantly try and remember all the random names you have given people.

When the project began Finn had high hopes.  His idea was inspired and once again it was confirmation of his genius.  Rather than draw with charcoal on parchment or lines in the dirt Razzel would fashion a life like image of the man as if he were standing in the room. Finn could change this imagined image at will according to Munts instructions.  But it wasn't meant to be.  Whether it be the man's faded memory or some breakdown in the flow of directions from witness to sculptor the end result looks even more monstrous than Munt himself.

Finn now exhausted slumps onto the floor mostly to think while he regains his strength.  Munts comment hangs in the air like an annoying mosquito.  The plucky thief-mage swats at it after a long pause and might have sounded more irritated if he weren't so tired.  ”How am I gonna find the dang place on nothin' but a name?”  Finns query was more rhetorical as he wasn't even looking at Munt.  But now that he's begun down that line of questioning he re-enters it in earnest.  ” 'Less you made a copy 'a the notes?”, the agent of the Row remarks hopefully.


OOC:
Glad you liked my thought bubbles.

I'm kind of at a loss.  So let me recap what Finn knows at this time.  We have the Library of Malak Almawt which is kind of like Indy looking for the lost Ark.  Malak supposedly was a political cleric who through coercion collected an impressive set of spells.  But he broke religious law in doing so and brought the wrath of the Caliph.  So when confronted he sunk his stronghold deep in the earth.  Fast forward to a few years ago.  Haj Umr was gathering research on the Library but when Sadda came and corrupted him he forgot all about it.  So he gave his notes to Jonny Wanderlust, who no one can remember what he looks like.  Jonny's real name was Malakai (Which is Arabic for John Smith).

Can Munt offer anything else of value?  Does he remember any of the notes he transcribed?  Such as the alleged location of the library?  A map would be great even if it is only 50% accurate.  Whats the general terrain?  Mountains?  Would I have to leave Boots behind?

This message was last edited by the player at 19:57, Tue 07 Apr 2020.

"A copy?"  Munt answers with a mere reflection of Finn's own question, sending the thief to even higher levels of frustration.  Luckily, before his entire face makes it to the shade of a red cabbage, Munt continues with the answer.

"No, I only ever made the one of each copy for master.  Though I think I can remember most of it."  Munt rolls his eyes back towards the top of his head as if trying to remember something long tucked away.

"In a cave
On an island
On a lake
Where the phantoms drift.
On a mountain
In the forest
At the edge
Where the ancients keep."

Munt lowers his head, looking back at Finn.  "Master had thought that the library was somewhere near the edge of the Great Forest, where the edges of the southern mountains touch the border...  Or at least where the forest has shrunken from.  Now the caravan routes go through the southern forest and many men have spoken of finding ancient coin at the skirts of the forest.  Master had often spoke of making a trip there to explore, though the route was too far for something so unsure... he had many experiments and studies he could not leave even before his attention had been clouded by his obsession with the prison."

Munt looks at Finn.  "Do you think you will go there?  I should like to see it...  Though I was copying text before I could read the words master had taught me early enough, many of my earliest memories were formed by the descriptions in those texts.  Perhaps it will bring me back to the beginning, give me some arc to start life anew..."

Azraa looks at Munt, her eyes open with wonderment, though she stays silent, waiting for Finn to respond.

OOC:  Munt does remember quite a lot, though if you asked him to "tell you everything important" you would likely not get much information in return.  If you don't already realize it, it would likely be apparent to Finn that Munt thinks quite differently than you do.  As for terrain - there is definitely a mountain and water based on the description above.  Over to you as to whether you think Boots could make it.  As I remember it, he's a quarterhorse, which normally do pretty well in terrain due to their thick builds.  Swimming is something he might not like though.  Caves are probably out of the question...  That doesn't mean you couldn't take him somewhere close though.