Chapter 1 - The Tale of the Bad Banker

General Summary

“What tale do you plan to tell me tonight, Shargazi? Are we continuing with the story of the thief?” asked Jezen.
“Of course, of course. But first, I must tell you of the tale of the bad banker," Shargazi replied.

Ten years ago in the year 4440, the Sultan of Tamay, named Ras-Dal, fought against the crusaders of Madeci and Tallia, seeing the lands of Tamay get sacked by the powers of the Macardian faith. The crusaders established the Holy Kingdom of Dragoncrest, being under the rulership of King Niklas Katharos.
Rebuilding from the conflict, Sultan Ras-Dal has allowed much corruption and lawlessness to plague the lands of Tamay. The clans of the land have turned against each other, vying for power against some of the Genie Lords. In particular, a rival to the Thieves Guild has arisen in the lands, as well as crusaders raiding the smaller cities of Tamay through the cause of righteous quest.
We begin our adventure in the small town of Anzibar, which is found in the middle of the rocky terraces of the central desert and is found near a lake oasis in the heat of the Tamayan Desert. Cassim and Farid find themselves in the middle of a meeting room, in front of the local Thieves Guild boss, a woman named Jazeera.

"Of course, they got their mission from Jazeera, a woman who led the local thieves guild. Before you object, Jezen, I should mention these were thieves who were legally sanctioned. Yes, I understand that is confusing to you. Regardless, Jazeera gave them an assignment: to take out the powerful banker Bajal who was imprisoning the thieves. Thus they would need to assemble a group for their heist."
"So you entertain me with the story of petty criminals?" Jezen asked.
"Listen, and I will continue. This Bajal, he was a corrupt individual. He had his hands in the pockets of worse thieves. Regardless, Farid and Casim assembled a group: an Amazonian sword-magician who had come to the city of Anzibar to search for her lost father, and a Dragonborn ranger named Etim who was caravaner himself. They gathered in an inn, where the last of our adventurers, a Tabaxi monk named Chufumasa, came into the fray."
"Now, Chufumasa came to believe Farid was the one who released the pharoah Kana-Ra. Thus, he attempted to poison the food of the group, knocking out the innkeeper and trying to become their server. Unfortunately, his plan failed, and the group grew resentful toward him. The group regathered into the keeping of a camel merchant and breeder named Gysa, who tried to give them a safe space. However, Chufu followed them, and the adventurers evidently captured him."
"They decided to kill this assassin, yes?" Jezen asked.
"No, not quite. They decided they would blackmail him to help them, to which he agreed. The rest of the day they plotted, with Casim taking a guard's uniform with blackmail, and Gysa agreeing to send his camels near Bajal's estate as a distraction. They struck on the night of a crescent moon. Utilizing ropes and stealth, they took out a dozen guards!"
"By themselves?" Jezen asked.

Dwarf Knight by Mark Tarrisse

"Yes, by themselves. They utilized the dark areas and coverings of the estate, showing few of their numbers and picked the guards off one by one. The real struggle for them was the hired thugs that Bajal had in his employ, who nearly killed Chufumasa. Yet they were defeated, killed by the monk, and the adventurers stormed the estate. They questioned Bajal, with Chufu even threatening the banker's life, and soon learned he was hired out by the Forty Thieves."
Jezen shook his head. "Horrendous that a banker would go so low to associate with those criminals."
"Indeed. And this is why our adventurers were good thieves, dear Jezen. They stole the incriminating evidence and took a powerful sword called Goldrush from the vicinity. With the evidence to indict the banker, they left the man tied up and brought the evidence back to Jezeera, and were paid handsomely. And Casim, he learned his old master Ardeth was at hands with the Forty Thieves, holed in a place called the Cave of Greed, to which they learned the word to open it was 'Open Sesame'."

---

As the sun rose again, Jezen paused, and looked toward Shargazi. "Once again you leave me curious. What happens with these Forty Thieves?"
"I am afraid that will have to wait until next time," Shargazi said.
Caliph Jezen raised his dagger. "No, enough. I am tired of this waiting. You... You are stalling, yes! Why should I not kill you now?"
Shargazi quickly replied. "Will you allow such an injustice to occur, your majesty? If my throat is silenced, these thieves will get away with a powerful treasure, and the pharoah Kana-Ra will never be dealt with."
"One more night," Jezen threatened. "And this must be resolved in one night."
Shargazi bowed before her husband. The two departed, and Shargazi plotted on what to do with her next tale. She pondered what could possibly extend the fates of her characters. Frankly, she did not have much. She would have to discover this herself...

Date (in world)

, 4210

Report Date

01 Jul 2022

Player Characters

Chufumasa, Tabaxi Monk. Part of the Order of Bastet, he seeks to stop the return of the Pharoah Kana-Ra, seeking to protect Tamay from necromantic evils. Though he seems crafty and vile, it is a disguise for his good nature.

Farid El-Shaddai, Human Rogue. Raised an orphan and escaping potential slavery in Tamay, he has recently lost his mother from the snare of Pharoah Kana-Ra and seeks to find a way to bring her back. He equips a whip to help him fight. He is joined by his camel, Sadeeda.

Casim, Human Bard. Once under the employ of a master thief named Ardeth, he is a bard who seeks to unravel his mysterious master's fate and seeks adventure and treasure.

Etim, Emerald Dragonborn Ranger. A caravener, he has specialized in being a hired sword to protect those travelling the desert.

Ishar, Amazonian Wizard. A spellsword, Ishar searches for the mystery of her father's disappearance in the lands of Tamay, and find some treasure along the way.