I Get a Degree and Then Get Convinced to Go for More

Vult, 997 YK

With the end of my final semester coming up I was deep into studying for finals and had gotten a little put off my search for Ja’shaarat (it’s a wonder what getting stabbed can do to your resolve). I was thinking about finding Jhazaali but didn’t really have the time, so I just hoped she’d still be around after graduation. Finals went well and graduation night was a blast. Kat had another year left at MU but Jhanni and Sid graduated as well. The whole area of Upper Menthis Plateau (where MU resides) was opened up and it was a party across that ward as well as the rest of the Menthis quarter. It was well into the next day before we all headed back to our respective homes. Once back at Shava House Prof. Gwen was waiting for me. She congratulated me, gave me a nice hug, and then handed me a letter as she smiled. It was from Flamewind, a Gynosphynx that lives at MU. It was an invitation to join her for dinner that evening. This was both exciting and a little scary. Flamewind spends most of her time in the libraries and museums of Sharn and supposedly had oracular powers. I’d had glimpses of her when I was in the library but never had a chance to talk. No idea what she wanted with me now.  Whatever it is I know I’m headed to her abode atop Lareth Hall.

Flamewind has the body of a giant lion, but orange stripes mark her deep-black fur; when she moves, these stripes ripple-like flames. Her great falcon wings are pure black. usually folded over her back. She has the head and face of a beautiful elf woman. Though her features are distinctly feline and her hair is the same deep black-and-orange as her coat. She wears a few jeweled chains of platinum and gold around her neck and forelimbs, and a silver diadem rests on her brow. (Baker & Wyatt, Sharn: City of Towers, 2004)

As I entered her chambers a glass of wine was mage handed to me and Flamewind motioned me to sit at the nearby chair. She then asks me a few questions about Xen’drik and proceeds to tell me that she too is from there, near the Menechturan. After a brief discussion about our time on Xen’drik there is a long pause and she says, “Be the one who searches and creates. The duur’kala seeks the bright blade. The duur’kala will be found when the sun strikes the ancient blade of death’s gate.” She then turned away, walked over, picked up a book, and started reading. I thought, maybe she’d be bringin’ me a passage to read but after about five minutes of nothing I decided to finish my drink and stand up to leave. I paused, wondering if she’d react and she did not. So, I tentatively said goodbye and the candle on the table next to me went out. I left. Weird, right? Well, they do say she’s eccentric. That, and the oracular powers, I figured I should get started on what it all meant. She did repeat part of the message of that talking tree I once saw so that must be important.

The duur’kala was obviously Jhazaali. Bright Blade is the translation of Ja’shaarat, the Dhakaani city Sharn is built atop. Deathsgate is a ward in Middle Tavick’s Landing. Just need to figure out what the ancient blade is a reference to. That doesn’t take long. Deathsgate is an adventurer quarter. A bit less savory than Clifftop, but there are plenty of taverns and such to go hang out and ask about this “ancient blade.” After finding one of the nicer taverns in the area and asking around for about five minutes, I find out that “Ancient Blades” is the name of a mystical forge that deals in magic arms and armor that sits in the shadows of two towers. Sounds like I need to get there about noon if I want to be there when the “sun strikes.” I get there and, easy as that, I find Jhazaali in the shop talking to one of the smiths. Kinda freaky how oracles and seers work. Mom’s got nothin’ on Flamewind, that’s for sure. I just look around a bit (carefully watched by the shopkeeper) and see some very nice darts and daggers. Priced waaay out of my range, but nice to look at anyway. Jhazaali finishes up and notices me standing there. I’m happy to see her flash a brief smile (she’s not one for emotion so that was big). She then approaches me and gives me that goblinoid hand/arm shake thing (she crushes my forearm with her grasp). I think I manage not to wince in pain. She then simply says “come with me” and we leave. Once out of the store she goes on about the shoddy work of the weapons and armor smithed there but admits they do a very good job with enchantments. I act like I know what she’s talking about and we head to another tavern in the area. No “how are you’s” or “what’s happenin’,” Ja’shaarat is at the top of her discussion points and in typical Dhakaani fashion she gets right down to business. She knows that’s why I was stupid enough to go to Malleon’s Gate and wants to know what I know. I tell her. We’re then up and out of there, heading to MU to talk to Karg. Yup. Things can proceed fast when a Dhakaani wants something.

This all culminates in Jhazaali getting a lot of info she’d been missing and the two of us figuring out exactly where we need to go. She’d been all over Malleon’s Gate and I got several old Sharn city plans of the area. We knew where we needed to go, and she already had a crew lined up to go with us. A couple bugbear warriors (Goth and Maasha), a human wizard named Gil, a halfling cleric, Mich, who had an overzealous hatred for house Jorasco, and two goblins (Mithic and Krotch – I know, not a good name in the common tongue) who seemed like a cross between warriors and rogues all-in-one… uh, all-in-two? Anyway, Jhazaali wanted me to go but was hesitant due to my… weakness? An “areshk karaachsi” was her term. Not really weak, more a term for elderly goblinoids who still had useful knowledge but whose bodies had failed them. She insisted it was not a horrible insult. Moving on. They had some planning to do and I had some discussions to be had with Kat, Gwen, and a few at Shava House.

Kat didn’t want me to go but knew that wasn’t going to stop me. She said she’d start looking for another boy-toy, but we had a nice night out despite her worries. Gwen was worried too, but after living in Khyber for a year, she figured things would work themselves out. She also recommended I talk to Professor Galrith, the head of Goblinoid Antiquities, to see if I could get a master’s thesis out of this trip. I hadn’t really put thought into my continuing education, but I suppose this would be a great way to go if I did go for it. I’d had many a long talk with Prof. Galrith due to my time with the Dhakaani and the Biting Ants on Xen’drik and it turns out that Prof. Galrith thought it was a great idea and it would be a good start on my program. He also wanted to meet Jhazaali very much and gave me a copy of his paper on Ja’shaarat that I was to share with her for enticement.

Jhazaali agrees to a meeting and I get some more brownie points with the Professor. More info and a good plan are put in order and a week after finding Jhazaali I’m off to a little adventure below the Cogs of Sharn.