The 22nd Scroll: New Introductions

[Gamemaster]

"Oh blessed Fate, why do you send more of these crypt servants to attack us!" Waleed, frightened out of his wits, conjured forth another dustdevil to block the way of the oncoming attackers.
Amir nocks an arrow to his bow and levels it towards the approaching figures. "They're flesh and blood enough," he claims, peering intently into the darkness. "But they still might be servants of the temple sent after us."
Ya'qub notices Amir's reaction, and half turns, still shaken by the events of just a few moments ago. "What ith it, Amir?"
"We'll move the caravan ahead, perhapth you could cover our ethcape?"
"Darn you Mamoun! Always one step behind you lazy child!" It didn't matter that he was always expected to be one step behind his master, Waleed was deathly afraid that Mamoun would be captured and fed to the foul serpent. "Come on Mamoun, up front, now!"
Waleed wished he had some form of ranged weapon as Amir had and silently scolded himself as he quickly prodded the camel he had been given to ride. "Shoot them Amir! Better safe than sorry!" Waleed shouted as he rode hastily by the crimson clad desert rider.

Keesha looks at her companion for a second before rushing "There will be time to get properly introduced later, for now lets get out of here - and fast"
Checking the still burning campfire she picks up a piece of still burning wood and starts running forward as she notices a couple of shadows at the far end..
"Careful there.. there seem to be someone over there.. .." as she slows down her pace approaching at a moderate pace while ready to jump to the side or cast a protection spell if smelling trouble
She turns to her companion... "were you alone here?"
Silk glanced over his shoulder as they ran, afraid that they were being followed. "All dead!" he said, "it ate them!"
He waved his arms at the strangers gathered at the exit of the valley, the danger behind him far worse than any ahead. "Shoot me or let me pass! I'm not staying here another moment," he yelled, not slowing his pace.
Keesha looks into the distance a bit alarmed as she sees the bow pointed towards them. Remembering the lessons of her friend Zinthalas, quickly decides to forgo an aggressive approach and utters an incantation as quite as she can
Suddenly, as the Keesha and Silk drew closer a dust devil spun up between the two groups, twirling in the sand and creating a stinging distraction.
Silk winced and charged through, shielding his eyes.
Keesha slows down her pace... "a spell caster .. be careful..."
She looks forward and focuses on using her arcane knowledge to analyze the creature ahead of them, sensing its degree of danger and realizing it is a relative harmless creature.. "..but wouldnt he have cast something more useful?"

[Gamemaster]

Without thinking it twice, she puts her dagger back on its sheath in a very visible way and then runs towards and through the dust devil towards the figures in the horizon, confident that the combined protection of her spell plus the whirlwind created by the devil would make very hard for any arrow to land on her anyhow...
"...hold your arrows! we are fleeing this doomed place!"
"Good," Amir al-Ahmar says shouldering his bow. "I'm tired of wasting my arrows anyway." Unwilling to turn his back to the fleeing pair, he waits for them to approach, his hand resting on the hilt of one of his scimitars. "Stay in our sight until we've put this oasis behind us or you'll have us to fear rather than that cursed temple." he warns.
With a whistle Amir summons a red Arabian stallion, vaults onto its back and begins to move behind the two newcomers herding them towards the departing caravan.
"Very well.. but keep that horse within a couple meters distance from me... got enough for a day already to have it kicking me inadvertently.." While talking, Keesha tries to appraise the warrior and to detect any sense of hostility... using the fast talk to gain a small distance, enough to react to any fast or abrupt moves "... so where the hell are we anyway.."
"We are in a mountain pass deep in the High Desert on our way to the beggar-city of Vahtov." Amir says cursing Fate for having presented him with two bothersome women in the same day. Noticing her subtle ruse of trying to widen the distance between them, the desert rider had a sudden thought to turn away and let her flee into the unforgiving but quiet embrace of the desert...
At the first opportunity, Ya'qub knowing full well the reponsibilities of leading a caravan through the desert, finds a place to stop and rest the camels and the people after their harrowing experience. "We can't have man nor beast dropping from exhaustion," he reasons to himself.
While everyone is resting, he decides to do a quick inventory of their goods.
"Sahra! While we are at rest, has anything been lost?"
Sahra gave a strap a final pull. "I think we have everything. We had not loosened the packs when we stopped."
Keesha remembers the stuff she read about Vahtov in an old history book.. “ ..bbut that is a long way from where I came from... what the hell was going on down there... " looks at her new companions puzzled... " so what do you know about that place? what where you doing there?"
Waleed continued to remain silent, letting Amir tend to the newcomers. His main concern averted, that of surviving the deadly embrace of the foul serpent, Waleed went to talk to Ya'qub.
"Friend Ya'qub, I see you are doing an inventory of sorts and although I have very little in the way of possessions, nothing more than the clothes on my back and his crude nomad's second cousin's brother's nephew's scimitar, the camel I have been riding has some items on it unfamiliar to me. Most notably a small journal, clothing, equipment and well, dinars belonging to man I surmise was called Zhalum based on the journal I perused. What happened to this Zhalum, and what are to become of his possessions?"
Ya'qub's eyes narrow suspiciously as his merchant's mind begins to run various scenarios involving Waleed and the caravan's goods, none of them good, and especially not to the continued good health and fortune of a likeable merchant caravaneer with a nervous lisp...
At this, Ya'qub's face darkens even more. "Would that you had not asked that of me! But since you have, I shall only say this. The blind pride of two men got the better of their reason. Lum -- I mean Zhalum -- foolishly tempted Fate in the guise of a djinni in a vial and is now no more." Ya'qub suddenly spat "Pfaw! I know something of honor! Some would say that merchants are little better than thieves, and they may well be right. But we merchants have honor as well. But we temper our sense of honor with wisdom and discretion. After all, is it not said 'discretion is the better part of valor?'"

[Gamemaster]

"Fate take you and Lum's possessions!" At this, Ya'qub relaxes a little. "They are now the property of the caravan, as it is obvious that honorable Zhalum no longer has need of them. When we camp, we shall let the caravan dispose of them equitably." Ya'qub now falls silent, brooding over past events.
Waleed raised his hands as Ya'qub lost his temper, "No offense meant Ya'qub, calm down. I just find it strange riding another man's camel." Taking a step back as obviously the little man cared little for him and his way, for certain he knew little of them for to talk to him in such a manner in Hiyal would mean a lashing at best. But this was not Hiyal, and Waleed, unlike his family, knew a little about humility. "I read he was a Mamluk and had accomplished a task, but if you say his goods now belong to the caravan, I guess you'll have to deal with his Order when it comes to it. I wash my hands of it, good luck." Waleed nodded and walked away, brushing off his threadbare vest as if he had just had sand thrown on him. The desert was a dirty place, he would be glad to get back to the city, maybe.
After Sahra's inspection brought some relief to Ya'qub's mind, he begins to survey their surroundings.
"If we were to travel in a straight line that way," he indicates with a wave of his hand, "we would reach Vahtov in two days, three at the most. The narrow pass we tried to cut through is obviously unavailable to us now. We could go around the mountains here, to the north. After that, we travel through a valley and then another range of mountains. From there we either find a way through the mountains or travel some sixty miles out of our way to go around them.
Since we are so close, we should begin to move on, and find a more suitable campsite."
Silk uses his time to watch and listen to all around him. Hes not really sure where here is, how he got here, and what the hell is going on.. keeping this in mind he decides not to do or say anything he might later have to retract or give answers he does not truly have. He does watch and listen. When asked he responds all he is sure of at the moment.."I am called Silk.. as for how I arrived and why I am here? I truly dont have that answer.. Yet".
Having hastily backtracked the length of the narrow pass, the party regrouped. It had been a nerve-racking rush of hooves and adrenaline, but now things where calming. Ya'qub already was pulling out his map. Turin dropped from his camel and unhooking a lamp from his pack hastened over. With a snap of his fingers, Ya'qub performed the trick that never ceased to delight the simple Turin. His lamp flickered to life.
Now back in the foothills, the camels milled about under a crescent moon. Old Rajab and Maarouf carefully checked packs were secured while Sahra paid special attention to the minun bags with the priceless water supply.
"North puts us too close to Quabah and Hulm for my liking." Amir says without looking at Ya'qub's map. "Nor does it make much sense to ride the long way south around the mountains."
He paused for a moment knowing Ya'qub and the others were wondering where his reasoning was leading. "While I am loathe to revisit the temple and it's slithering guardians, the pass we just left nevertheless may be the most direct route to Vahtov. If we explore the valley by day we may be better prepared for any treachery we meet. We must also consider that if we are delayed on our journey to Vahtov, our extra rations of water may not be suficient now that we have four new bellies to fill. There is an oasis after all..."
Looks at Amir in disbelief "Great, we have an entertainer in the caravan" and the breathes deeply
"There is no way we can get back in there, didn’t you saw those serpent tongued things... and whatever it is that dwells there?"
"I saw the serpent, yes." Amir says eying Keesha suspiciously. "But you were still in the temple when we encountered it. Perhaps you should tell us why two you were in that place to begin with." He sits atop his horse challenging them with a stare.
"But there is no need to offend," he adds reluctantly, catching Ya'qub's concerned look. "First we shall begin with names. I am Amir al-Ahmar, warrior and archer. And this," he says patting the stallion upon which he sits. "Is Sulayman."

[Gamemaster]

Hearing the conversation between the strangers and Amir, Waleed reminded himself he also was a newcomer here, and as such still would not like Amir's hardline approach although it was probably necessary. Stepping forward, the bedraggled pauper introduced himself, "May peace be upon you two," with a slight bow he continued, "I am Waleed Ibn Alurah from Hiyal and it would seem we share two things in common. First, I am also a newcomer to this group and second, I'm not going back to the pass either."
Ya'qub was about to add his vote for not going back to the temple, but stopped himself. He remembered that despite their current tension, Amir had proven himself a courageous and wily combatant. He wondered what reason for this challenge to his experience as caravaneer?
"Amir, I understand not why you would prefer to challenge that serpent-thing in the Temple to pass through this mountain. Surely the cities of Quabah and Hulm are less of a threat than that beast! Why do you not want to take the safest route?"
Looking at Amir he could sense his ire, he was not a man usually taken to being questioned, "Amir, I meant no disrespect, I have no doubt you are a formidable warrior, the best amongst us, but the rest of us are not so skilled. Speaking for myself, I am not unfamiliar with the scimitar, but I truly believe if we go back there someone here will die and I do not believe the cost of saving time going through the pass is worth it."