In reply to Dragondog (msg # 352):

Aladin listens carefully for any clues, or similarities to the languages used by the necklace.

Gurth thrust up a fist to the group as a warning.

"Stop!  Beware!", he said sternly.

"There, in the dust.  I hear a voice but do not understand."Gurth said, pointing at the dust devil in the beam of light.

"That would appear to be an ancient lecture on poetry. I suspect it is not dangerous, but I could be wrong."

Keira kept her distance from the dust devil. "How does it work? Magic of some kind?"

In reply to Keira (msg # 356):

"Or some divine effect based on the old gods..."

"Or a creature of some kind.", Gurth added.

Larathiel tries to listen to the lecture. "Perhaps it will tell us something about this place that could be useful." Besides, she was a Maiko; she loved poetry.

In reply to Larathiel (msg # 359):

Aladin also tried to listen in. for the same reason.

Keira shrugged her shoulders, not seeing much use for ancient poetry. She preferred to use this time to keep an eye out for danger. There might be more of those snakes around, and she was convinced those cultists would send someone after them sooner or later.

Keira, Aladin, and Gurth briefly discussed how they could meet such a creature there, but they didn't come to any conclusion.

While Larathiel and Aladin listened to the lecture, Keira stayed away from the creature while investigating the place.

"Don't go too far, Keira.", Gurth warned.

He stood by on alert while Larathiel and Aladin listened to the poetry of the dust cloud.  He wondered how he would fight a dust cloud if it became a threat.

In reply to Gurth (msg # 363):

Aladin tried to propose a question about the poets to see if there was any response...

"Do you think different cultures or religions may interpret different meanings to the poet's words?"
This message was last edited by the player at 19:59, Tue 23 Apr.

Larathiel crosses her arms. "How could such a boring lecture have survived the test of time? I love poetry and I still couldn't enjoy it. I'd be awfully mad if this was the only thing to survive from my culture. But at least, this has to be a magic effect. If there's ancient magic here, that's a good sign, right?"

Keira nodded in response to Gurth. "No worries, I'm not planing on heading out on my own. I only wish we would find something, anything to show we are getting any closer to finding what we came here for."

The philosopher made of swirling dust turned to Aladin. "Of course," he replied. "Cultures and religions have different views of everything." He digressed into a dissertation on the vagaries of religion


[OOC: Those of you who listen to the philosopher and make an AW roll, will get 1 point in Theology (Comparative) (H) FI-2. Please let me know if you listen and if you make the roll or not. For those that don't post, I will assume that you didn't listen.]

In reply to Dragondog (msg # 367):

Aladin listens to the dissertation, which is now more interesting.  He then asks "Do you have an example of how the local religions here would interpret one piece of poetry differently?"

Since the dust devil didn't seem to be a threat, Gurth stepped a little ways away to keep watch at the arch where he would not be distracted.

The philosopher's mood changed quickly. And it started berating Aladin, soon transitioning into reviling him.

In reply to Dragondog (msg # 370):

"Ignorant academic fool...lets leave this idiot to his stupidity."

He heads off to find an exit here...testing to see if he can heal himself first.

OOC: Note, if I had the actual words he used, I can turn them against him...
This message was last edited by the player at 05:59, Sat 27 Apr.

Despite expressing her own irritation earlier, Larathiel listened politely as the subject turned. She asked the dust devil "Honored teacher, do you know how religion relates to the history of this place?"

22:01, Today: Larathiel rolled 12 using 3d6 with rolls of 5,3,4.  Awareness.

Not one for theological debates, Keira did not listen to the lecture. Instead she looked around to see if there was anything else of interest in this building.

OOC: Not leaving out of sight of the rest of the party though.

As Aladin stepped away and once more failed to get any effect from his prayers, Larathiel spoke to the philosopher with a yawn. It turned its eyes from Aladin to her and he began an equally dull lecture about the religion of this place. A religion not among the Eight True Religions of Remulus. It mentioned Bahal, as the cultists had done and as Aladin's female voice had done one of the times he had been wearing that medallion of his.

It also mentioned Nehebaku, the god with a human body and a serpent head who ruled this section of the city. And how in the Aftermath magic had been banished from this part of the city. He droned on about the other five gods and various aspects of the religion of this place and Larathiel became more and more tiered.

Keira looked around the place.

And shortly after the lecture was finished, Larathiel slumped to the ground. Unmoving.


[OOC: Like before, those of you who listen to this lecture and make an AW roll get 1 point in Theology (Holy City)]

In reply to Dragondog (msg # 374):

The religions is what Aladin wanted to know about, so he did listen intently despite giving the appearance of not caring...

Keira returned from her futile search just in time to find Larathiel lying on the ground. "What happened?!"

She knelt next to Larathiel to see if the woman is still breathing.

Keira checked on Larathiel and she seemed to be sleeping a heavy sleep.